Search - Statler Brother :: The Definitive Collection

Outstanding anthology of one of Americas great vocal groups

Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 04/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At long last, Mercury Records has seen fit to release a pretty comprehensive single disc anthology of one of America's all-time favorite groups. From the very beginning the Statler Brothers did it their way. In an era when many artists found it necessary to poke fun at the values and institutions that many Americans hold near and dear the Statler Brothers were a welcome alternative. They sang songs that told a story and the stories were often about our heroes, the communities where we live and work, the loves of our lives and cherished memories of days gone by. Some might find that a bit corny but the Statler Brothers struck a chord with many of us and were a consistent force in American popular music for nearly four decades.

Released in April 2005, "The Definitive Collection" features 25 of the Statler Brothers biggest and most memorable hit records.

The remastering job is first rate and I was very pleased to discover that the original Columbia recording of the Lew Dewitt penned "Flowers On The Wall", the groups first big hit from 1965, is included here. I also enjoyed the newly remastered versions of the early '70s hits "Do You Remember These?" and "Class of '57". It was these two records that turned me on to the group and made me a fan for life. While perusing the 12 page booklet you might be surprised to learn that with the exception of a handful of "oldies but goodies" that the group decided to cover, just about all of the other tunes were written by members of the group. Enjoy Don Reid's handiwork on "Bed of Roses", "I'll Go To My Grave Loving You" and the 1984 smash "Atlanta Blue". Don and Harold Reid collaborated on a number of hits including "I'll Be The One", "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine?" as well as the aforementioned "Do You Remember These?" When long time member Lew Dewitt was forced to retire with painful Krohn's disease in 1982, the group tapped 25 year old Jimmy Fortune to fill the void. It was a stroke of genius! Jimmy was not only a talented vocalist, he was also a gifted and prolific songwriter. In fact, several of the Statlers' biggest tunes were penned by Jimmy including "Elizabeth", "My Only Love", "Too Much On My Heart" and the moving "More Than A Name On A Wall" from 1989.

In the final analysis reviewer PD Harris is correct. This is "not quite a definitive" collection. After all, the group had a total of 66 charted hits on Billboard's "Top Country Singles" chart. At least 10-12 of their Top 10 hits are not included here. But I am not going to quibble about it. Those who desire more can always grab the 3 disc "30th Anniversary" box set. It seems to me that "The Definitive Collection" is the right choice for most collectors and fans of the group. The music is timeless and eternally uplifting. Very highly recommended!"

Not quite definitive but a fine collection

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 04/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The line-up of the Statler brothers was Harold Reid, Lew DeWitt, Phil Balsley and Don Reid (Harold's brother) when they cut their first record, and the only line-up change since then was when Lew had to withdraw in 1982 because of vocal problems as a result of being a long-term sufferer of Crohn's disease. Jimmy Fortune replaced him. Very few groups in any genre of popular music remain as stable over such a period of time, although there have been others - the Four Tops stayed together for over 40 years.



This collection is presented in chronological order and includes some of their finest recordings. I notice that over half of the tracks are from the Jimmy Fortune era. As most of my favorites are from the Lew DeWitt era, I would have compiled it differently. Notable omissions from the Lew DeWitt era are Silver medals and sweet memories, Whatever happened to Randolph Scott?, Carry me back and Susan when she tried (a song that Elvis Presley covered) - and that's just a few of them. It must have been hard for the compilers to select just twenty-five songs to fit on a single CD.



The Jimmy Fortune era is (as I explained) well represented and includes classic songs such as Elizabeth, Too much on my heart and More than just a name on the wall.



The Statlers sang about a variety of things, but nostalgia was one of their trademarks. Normally, when singers want to go back in time, they record covers of songs from the era they want to remember. The Statlers adopted a different approach - they wrote new songs about the old days - and about old movies. Good examples include The class of '57 (about the people they went to school with, and what happened to them) and Do you remember these?



The Statlers recorded other types of song too, including love songs and gospel songs - but whatever they chose to sing, their quartet harmony singing remains one of the most recognisable sounds in country music history, so even their cover versions sound distinctive - listen to their version of Hello Mary Lou.



The set opens with Flowers on the wall, the song that provided them with their first success way back in the sixties. It even became a minor UK hit, something they were unable to repeat although they might have done if the UK division of Mercury had made an effort.



Although this is a fine collection, I recommend saving a bit more money and buying the 30th anniversary box set instead. It omits three of the tracks here (Thank God I've got you, I was there, You'll be back every night in my dreams) but includes forty other tracks and an impressive booklet. Now THAT is the definitive collection."

A Tough Compilation To Put Together

K. Fontenot | The Bayou State | 07/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would hate to have to be the person responsible for compiling the best tunes for a "definitive" collection of the Statler Brothers' music. How tough must that be? This album, definitely worth five stars due to the songs it does contain, manages to do an excellent job of giving the listener many of the best Statler tunes, but a twenty-five song set just doesn't do them justice. From reminiscent tales to hokey comic tunes to love songs to great Southern Gospel, the Statlers sang just about anything you put in front of them and sang it well. This collection does fairly well with representing their bigger hits, but it's still rather lacking.



As stated before, the songs that this album does have on it are worth five stars. Long before Quentin Tarantino introduced Gen-X to "Flowers On The Wall" via the "Pulp Fiction" soundtrack, it was the first big hit for the Statlers. It's also the first tune on this chronologically listed album. The rest of the album is dotted with other greats such as "Elizabeth," "Don't Wait On Me," "I Was There" and "Guilty." Also included is the awesome tearjerker (and my favorite Jimmy Fortune-era tune), "More Than A Name On A Wall." If you're looking for proof that the Statlers were ahead of their time, look no further than "Do You Remember These?" Years before R.E.M. told us that "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" and Billy Joel declared that "We Didn't Start The Fire," the Statlers were rattling off names and events in quick succession in that tune.



This album does well in giving a new listener a wonderful starting point in an exploration of the Statlers. It also gives the older, more experienced listener a handy compilation of the Statlers' best songs. It is a solid representation of a band that might come across as "old fashioned" but were true rebels in popular Country music by doing things their own way and managing to stay successful until they retired from the music scene."