Disco de Brenda Lee: “Anthology Volumes 1 & 2”

The sound is great, all the songs are there, if your a fan this is for you. I bought it on recommendation after reading comments here. A great buy.

This is an excellent overview of the career of Brenda Lee, finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Ms. Lee placed 50 different songs on the pop chart between 1957 and 1973; after that, she became a regular presence on the country charts through the mid-'80's. Her best recordings are contained here, all in their original single versions and, as mastered by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch, sounding great.

Because she started recording when she was 11, Brenda is younger than a lot of people think. She's only a year older than Dolly Parton, even though her last pop chart entry predated Dolly's first by over a year. It's actually a bit disappointing to realize that, as many hits as there are on this collection, LMD's songs stopped reaching the Top 40 when she was only 22!

In addition to the #1's "I'm Sorry" and "I Want To Be Wanted," the big hits here include the rockin' "Sweet Nothin's" (second cousin to "Chantilly Lace") and "Dum Dum" plus the slow ones "Fool #1", "Break It To Me Gently" (revived 20 years later--and (ulp) twenty-two years AGO--by Juice Newton), and "All Alone Am I." Also here is perhaps Ms. Lee's best-known song, the Christmas evergreen "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", which originally reached #14 in 1960.

If you buy this like you should, make sure to pay special attention to such fine later efforts as "Johnny One Time" and "Nobody Wins." Written by some guy named Willie Nelson, "Johnny" stopped at #41 (ouch) in 1969, but as Diana Haig's informative liner notes tell us was a Grammy nominee. 1973's "Nobody Wins", written by Kris Kristofferson, was both Brenda's last pop entry (#70) and first Top Ten country single. Four of her 8 other country Top Tens finish this collection, all of them very good.

I almost forgot: there was actually one more Top 40 moment for Brenda Lee in 1974. Golden Earring name-dropped her in their hit "Radar Love": "Radio playing some forgotten song/Brenda Lee comin' on strong."

Although "Little Miss Dynamite" is now a grandma, I'm pleased to report that she is still active and feisty. She performed at the "Strawberry Festival" (yes, not far from Lakeland there is indeed an annual festival of strawberries) on March 5. As I hoped, she didn't let the calendar stop her from doing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." A couple of thousand of her fans, myself included, had a great time seeing her. Congratulations on making the Hall, Brenda Lee (and don't get too close to those nasty boys from ZZ Top)!

During all my life I've heard on the radio "Dum Dum" and "Let's Jump The Broomstick" by Brenda Lee, songs that I honestly never enjoyed very much. In 1994 the Argentine CD "Cronología de Brenda Lee" was released, it was the first Brenda Lee's recording I bought. Reading the booklet I learnt that she came here around on a world tour in the early 60's, she was very popular and those two songs I mentioned above were her biggest hits. In "Cronología" I discovered she has a lot of beautiful songs either rock'n'roll or soft ballads, it contains 30 songs since 1958 to 1970, including 1962's "Save All Your Lovin'for Me". "Speak to Me Pretty", 1963's "You Used To Be", He's So Heavenly", 1964's "He's Sure To Remember Me", 1965's "Thanks a Lot", 1970's "I Think I Love You Again", and some others that don't overlap with the songs included in the US Anthology, this 2 CD Anthology contains Brenda's recordings since 1956 to 1980, among them I specially like "Johnny One Time", "Broken Trust", "Fool nr. 1", "Is it True?", "Rock On Baby", "Nobody Wins", "Tell Me What It's Like" and "The Grass Is Greener". Anthology is an excellent introduction for those who either still don't know her voice or know a few songs. In Argentina another CD in the format 2 original LPs on one CD has been released, but there are more Brenda Lee's albums that deserve CD reissues in full, that format is the best one. Either here, in the US or in Europe the labels could consider their release.

From Rock & Roll to C&W, from Blues to Ballad. It's all here.

The best possible selection of songs of female's biggest star

of the late 50's and early 60's + her switch to pure country

in the late 70's and early 80's. This really deserves the word

"anthology". Her incredible voice repasses all possible music

styles and most of her hits are on this double CD together

with 2 booklets explaining better than ever the story behind

this tiny woman with an incredible strong singing capacity.

From Miss Dynamite during the days of pure Rock & Roll to the

Lady of Country 20 years later. This set of 2 CD's is an

abolute must for Brenda Lee fans and also for those youngsters

who have never heard of her. This is MUSIC with capital letters.

Inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and more recently in the Rock'n'roll Hall of Fame, both facts very well deserved for this gifted singer. She can make you fly in sweet dreams with her ballads or her Country songs (which always have not just a touch but many of Pop music), her voice also shines with moving rocks as "Is It true?", "Rock on Baby" (in this compilation) or "Blueberry Hill" or her version of "You're the one That I love" (not in this compilation, but also available).

I recommend this CD Box for everyone who appreciates an excellent voice, in particular for people who enjoy both good pop ballads and rock.