Recommended! Although these are actually early '80s re-recordings of songs Conway had hits with years earlier, they're still quite nice. The smooth rumble is still intact and the musical backing is understated and very much in keeping with the sensuous feel of the old Decca & MCA originals. Really, no one could sing a love ballad the same way as Twitty did, and though you might be prepared to feel gypped by this re-make package, it's really quite good.
Recorded with producer Jimmy Bowen in 1981, and originally released across two LPs in 1982, these remakes of twenty of Twitty's #1 hits aren't the place for a neophyte to start their collection. On the other hand, the work presented here is hardly the sort of quick cash-in (commonly made for contractual or licensing reasons) that one might expect of re-recordings. By the time Twitty cut these tracks, he and Bowen were music industry veterans with careers that had criss-crossed since the early days of rock 'n' roll. During their joint tenure at MCA (Bowen as label head, Twitty as star) in the late 70s, Bowen helped Twitty update his song choices, production and image, and in the early 80s, Bowen lured Twitty to Elektra Nashville.
Twitty and Bowen went right to work, cutting an enormous number of tracks throughout 1981, including remakes that spanned Twitty's earliest rock 'n' roll successes ("It's Only Make Believe" "I'll Try" "Danny Boy"), later, mature songs of love and unfaithfulness ("You've Never Been This Far Before" "Linda on My Mind" "As Soon As I Hung Up the Phone"), as well as songs recorded just a few years earlier ("I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me"). Twitty obviously had a lot of affection for these songs, many of which figured prominently in his live show, and, together with Bowen, he set out to reapply his maturing vocal abilities. Hints of modernism intrude here and there, but for the most part, the timeless themes of these songs play just as smoothly in the 80s as when they were originally cut.
Twitty's earliest hits, reinterpreted twenty-plus years after their original waxings, take provide the greatest revelations. "It's Only Make Believe" trades its teen-idol mannerisms for a grown-up's reading, replacing adolescent pain with the more informed longing of an adult. The Jordanaires' original backing vocals are replaced by a countrypolitan chorus that further brings the production forward. "Danny Boy" retains the original's rock 'n' roll energy, but with a decidedly modern take on 50s rockabilly. The 80s-vintage guitar solo might have sunk this track were it not for Twitty's stellar vocal.
Signature tracks from the late 60s and early 70s, such as "Hello Darlin'" and "Fifteen Years Ago," don't replace the originals, but they do provide additional shadings and insights from the original hitmaker. They're great listening for fans who've absorbed the nuances of the originals. Twitty's string of hit duets with Loretta Lynn is represented by his solo take of "As Soon As I Picked Up the Phone," and his mid-70s output is covered by "Linda On My Mind" "Touch the Hand" "After All The Good Is Gone," and his lyrical update of Floyd Cramer's "Last Date."
Brian Mansfield's liner notes provide a good overview of how these recordings came to be, and a nice recounting of Twitty's and Bowen's intertwined histories. Though many of the songs are placed in Twitty's career, a bit more information on the original releases (e.g., dates) would have been useful. Still, with or without the discographical information, this is a potent take on Conway Twitty, and one whose "New Versions" tag shouldn't scare off potential listeners.
