There's something a bit frustrating about the MCA portion of Nanci Griffith's career. She has a couple of five-star albums to her credit dating to before and after the period covered here, but none from during the MCA era. All four of the albums collected here have some wonderful songs and a few forgettable ones. The good news, though, is that none of the songs are actually bad. Besides, with four albums for less than the price of two, a few weak links are perfectly acceptable.
If any of those four is missing from your collection (and especially if you only have a greatest-hits CD), this is worth picking up. All four of the MCA albums featured at least one great song that hasn't turned up on any of her live albums or compilations. "Lone Star State of Mind," "Never Mind," "Love Wore A Halo," "San Diego Serenade," and "You Made This Love A Teardrop" have all aged just as well as concert staples like "Gulf Coast Highway" or "I Wish It Would Rain" (which are, of course, here as well).
For the completists, there are three previously unreleased (or nearly-unreleased) songs here. Of these, the bouncy "Tumble and Fall" is definitely a keeper, and "Stand Your Ground" is also pretty good. The third, a cover of "Wooden Heart," is just about identical to every other version of that song I've ever heard, so if you liked those, you'll like her version too.
This is one of the best compilations of her music I've heard - and at a good price to boot! It's a great sampling for new fans and old ones alike - an absolute delight to my ears!
If you've never bought any of Nanci Griffith's music, you're missing one of music's top female vocalists. Her stories hit home & become a part of you. The stories could've been from your life. This cd will quickly contain several favorites for you. Ford Econoline is one of mine. Don't miss out on a cd with MANY great songs!
Smooth and easy listening. Enjoy her voice and the songs she has penned. Some great duets also. Have other cd's by her that are just as good or better.
I enjoyed listening to these tracks, but I found Ms. Griffith's later recordings to be much more powerful. In particular, "Last of the True Believers" just blows me away whenever I play it.
This "Complete Recordings" double-CD set is a good value, and anyone who loves Nanci Griffith will appreciate that this appears to be a complete collection of recordings from a period in the artist's life.
