Rosanne Cash Album: “Hits 1979-1989”

Unfortunately, Rosanne Cash's catalog has been clipped down so severely, that only five of her eleven releases remain in print. Three of which are greatest hits compliations. HITS 1979-1989, is the best of the three; RETROSPECTIVE is a close second; and SUPER HITS is third (not because of the album, but because of what happended to her catalog following its release). HITS 1979-1989 is over forty minutes of sensational music, by one of the music world's most gifted performers. Her first five albums with producer, then-husband Rodney Crowell, redifined the boundaries of Country and Rock music. From her exceptional debut RIGHT OR WRONG, there is the gorgeous "No Memories Hangin' Round", a duet with Bobby Bare. SEVEN YEAR ACHE, her second release, skyrocketted her career, and redesigned both Country and Pop music. The ultra-classic title track, "Seven Year Ache", both charted at #1 on the Country charts, and hit the top thirty in the Pop charts; that's the song that opens this magnifiscent collection. "Blue Moon With A Heartache" is poignant, a second #1, reveals Rosanne Cash's monumental strenghts in songwriting. Nobody else can compose sad songs and love ballads like she does. There's Western flavor on "My Baby Thinks He's A Train", written by Leroy Preston. SOMEWHERE IN THE STARS, is the most under-rated album in her largely out-of-print catalog. "I Wonder", also penned by Leroy Preston, was the least impressive song from that outstanding album. I wish they would have put "Ain't No Money" or "That's How I Got To Memphis" on this compliation instead. The sizzling RHYTHM AND ROMANCE, broke Rosanne Cash's three-year hiatus in 1985, produced two #1 hits. "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" carries the listener away on waves of awesome music. She crosses more boundaries by taking Tom Petty's "Never Be You" to #1. Her magnifiscent "Hold On", is included, thank goodness; the song is terrific. KING'S RECORD SHOP produced four #1 singles; two of which are on this collection. The marvelous "The Way We Make A Broken Heart" written by John Hiatt, and Johnny Cash's "Tennessee Flat Top Box" featuring terrific guitar work. She brings The Beatles "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" to brand new heights, making it her tenth #1. "Black And White" which closes the album is beautiful. No collection can ever capture the magic of Rosanne Cash's music as well as the original albums. The albums she released after this album: INTERIORS, THE WHEEL, and 10 SONG DEMO are life-changing musical experiences. For the ten years both SUPER HITS and this outstanding collection cover; Rosanne Cash's music changed history. Hopefully Song Music will re-issue these magnifiscent recordings, to let the world hear that gorgeous voice singing some of the best music the world has seen in her twenty years of performing.

Granted, this CD was the first Rosanne Cash greatest-hits album, but even at its relatively early release date, it left out MAJOR hits (like the #1 songs "If You Change Your Mind" and "Runaway Train" and the Top-10 hits "Second To No One" and "Ain't No Money") and included forgotten, relatively low-charting songs like "No Memories Hangin' Around" and "Black and White."

Too much is missing from this CD to make it a good representation of Cash's hits. If you want a really great hits collection, pick up "Blue Moons and Broken Hearts," available from Raven Records. It has remastered sound (this CD doesn't), and it includes many more (but sadly not all of the) hits.

Rosanne Cash was easily the greatest thing to happen to country music in the 1980's(or since then for that matter). Even if she isnt(and never was) REALLY a country singer. However, when you make music this good, who cares? She was truly the most original, distinctive country artist since, well...her father.

This album has a lot of good songs on it. Most of them are downers however. But if you've got a man going through a midlife crisis listen to "Seven Year Ache" a few times in a row, It'll help.

Rosanne Cash has always had a strong but mellow voice and always has had variations of emotion in every song. There is sometimes a dark side to her singing also which is why I like her singing. One of her best known songs, "Seven Year Ache", is a good dance tune and it shuffles right along throughout the whole song. The Beatles classic "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" is a good song as Rosanne does a fine job on it. The songs like "Blue Moon With Heartache", and "Black And White" really show a dark side to Rosanne's singing. "Hold On", "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" and "Never Be You" show how Rosanne can put hurt in her music and you can really feel it when she sings the lyrics of her songs. The song "The Way We Make A Broken Heart" sounds like Cha Cha music and is probably a good song to dance to. Her father Johnny Cash had a hit with a song she recorded and she did not know he recorded it until she started to record it. It is "Tennessee Flat Top Box" and it sounds as good today as it did when her dad recorded it long ago. Like I said before Rosanne Cash has a strong but mellow voice but is pleasant to the listening audience. A Good CD for any Rosanne Cash Fan.