Disco de Tanya Tucker: “Super Hits”

I listened to this recording when I was young and wanted to introduce Tanya Tucker to my daughter. She loves it just as much as I do!

This CD is a good, but short compilation of Tanya's early hits. Tanya was only 13 when she began recording and her first #1 country single (What's Your Mama's Name) is included here. Other notable selections are Delta Dawn (a country hit for Tanya a year before Helen Reddy made it a pop hit), Blood Red and Goin' Down (surely one of the oddest titles for a country hit), and Would You Lay with Me (a controversial song in its time). One of my favorites on the CD is I Believe the South Is Gonna Rise Again, which is a great song that speaks of the wish of racial harmony, a sentiment not often displayed this openly in 1970s country music. This inexpensive set is quite worthwhile and will likely inspire listeners to seek out more of Tanya's early work.

I love the sound of Tanya's voice. And her early music on Columbia records was a magical mix of country, pop and gospel sounds. In my opinion this was producer Billy Sherills finest hour. It's a pity this great music is so often only to be found on this type of unambitious collections, offering only a minimum of material. You'd do much better to seek out the original albums. This collection is no better or no worse than most of what's out there but it has one real ace up it's sleeve - the rare non-album track "Greener Than The Grass (We Laid On)". THIS IS MY FAVOURITE TANYA TUCKER SONG OF ALL TIMES. It was written by David Allan Coe who also composed her hit "Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone), "I Still Sing The Old Songs" and "Can I Be Your Lady", all recorded by Tanya. Unlike those ballads, this is an up-tempo number about the short and sordid love affair between a young girl and a ramblin' man. The steel guitar adds a melancholy note to this catchy tune and Tanya's voice aches with longing as she sings: "I should have known the highway was his home". If you are a Tanya fan and don't have this song - you must get it.