Brenda Lee seemed to come out of nowhere in the 1950s, but in truth at age thirteen she had already been performing for a decade, a popular figure on regional radio and television shows. In 1956 a series of national television appearances left audiences dazzled by her unexpectedly mature, knock-you-flat voice and a stage presence that exploded from her tiny 4'9" frame.
Curiously, Lee actually proved more popular abroad than at home; in 1960, however, she exploded to the top of the charts with the single "Sweet Nothin's," and she would remain a fixture on the pop charts for more than a decade with such hits as "I'm Sorry" and "I Want to Be Wanted." Although her pop-chart hits began to wane in the 1970s, her success on the country music charts has never faultered, and her worldwide fan base has never declined.
THE HIT COLLECTION offers a very nice overview of both Lee's major hits and her characteristic sound--a vocal quality that offers a unique blend of country inflections and pop idioms and an energy that simply bounces off the recording media. Equally at home with a ballad and a 1950s-rock-style shouter, it's hard to listen to Lee and not be enthusiastic.
The opening "Dynamite" finds Lee shooting out vocal growls right and left and was such a toe tapper that it earned her nickname of "Little Miss Dynamite." "Sweet Nothin's" is cast in the same mold but finds Lee singing with a covert humor--and proved her first chart-topper in the United States. Other 1950s and 1960s rockers include "That's All You Gotta Do" and "Dum Dum," all of them classics of the era and utterly charming in both period style and Lee's vocals.
Lee's greatest chart success, however, would be a ballad: the wipe-out "I'm Sorry," performed with gloss-pop instrumentals but with Lee's vocal offering a country-inflected vocal; it's a lovely contrast. Lee would offer an similar effect on the likes of "I Want To Be Wanted," a really nice "Break It To Me Gently," and the more up-tempo "Coming On Strong." But whether it's up, down, mid-tempo, pop or country, Lee herself is never less than expert from start to finish.
This eighteen track collection stretches the boundaries of most Brenda Lee compilations, including such later works as the very specifically country "Big Four Poster Bed" and the seasonal classic "Rocking Around The Christmas Tree," the latter of which is usually more available on Christmas collections than Lee collections. The sound quality is good from start to finish, and it's all a lot fun. Recommended.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
