The Best Country Album in the World…Ever

The Best Country Album in the World…Ever
Customer Review: (Hardly) The Best Country Album In The World Ever (Sadly)
It was inevitable that those lovely people at Virgin Records would include a “Country” collection into their ever-so popular “Best…….Album In The World Ever!” series. However, this compilation from 1994 - a time when Virgin were churning out “Best…….Ever!” albums on what seemed like a weekly basis - is a rather lame attempt to make “Country” music appealing. The biggest letdown for this reviewer is that actual title of the album itself. Without the insertion of tracks by genuine country legends such as Hank Williams Sr, George Jones and Loretta Lynn (to name but a few), this collection can never hope to be any sort of definitive “Best Country Album….Ever” compilation.

The majority of the 40 tracks on this double CD collection are taken from the late 1960s and the 1970s when country music crossed over into the mainstream charts on both sides of the Atlantic (and most other countries for that matter). It’s hard to choose the most popular tracks here as the individual records sold millions upon millions worldwide. Yet it’s unlikely you won’t recognise such ‘classics’ as Stand By Your Man, Rhinestone Cowboy, Jolene, Blanket On The Ground (etc). Although this compilation is filled with hit after hit (thankfully, it’s hard to find a ‘filler’ on these 2 CD’s) my only gripe is these songs are more ‘Pop’ (Dr Hook, Bobby Gentry) than ‘Country’ (Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves). Still, that only reflects the direction country music took during that time period.

Some of the tracks used are not the definitive versions. Roy Orbison’s version of “Cryin’” was more country and more of a hit than Don McLean’s version featured here, and Elvis’ take on “The Promised Land” stood head and shoulders above Johnnie Allan’s interpretation. And if the majority of the songs here are taken from the aforementioned time period, there’s an awful lot of classic songs overlooked here: D.I.V.O.R.C.E, Take Me Home Country Roads, Harper Valley PTA, Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town and Talking In Your Sleep to mention a few best sellers from the time the majority of this album focuses on.

Despite my criticism, this isn’t a bad compilation…….it’s just not “The Best Country Album In The World Ever”. What it is, is a collection of “radio favourite” songs that could’ve easily been packaged together as “The Best Easy Listening Album Of The Seventies” and sold under that pretence. For those who wish to be introduced to what country music SHOULD sound like, opt for the compilation entitled “Q COUNTRY” which was released around the same time.

Customer Review: What can I say? - wonderful!!!
Since I first heard this album when I was just eleven years old I’ve wanted to get my hands on a copy. There just isn’t a better album around for me. Now I know what your thinking, “What a sad bloke! He listens to country music, I’m not listening to him!” But think again. I never bought, or even listened to, a country album in my life except this one and I still love it. With the likes of “I will always love you” and “Wind beneath my wings,” even the most hardcore country-hater will enjoy this album, and for those of you who can even get into a bit of that thigh slappin’, yee-hawing stuff you’ll just love the classics such as “Achy-Breaky Heart” and “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Fun, fast, slow and easy….if you want it, you’ll find it somewhere in this album. Superb.

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