|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
An incredible talent Jun 05, 2008
I guess there's validity to the other reviewers comments about the Tears Of Fire 3 disc set not having everything ever recorded by Tammy Wynette. My response is, so what! What you get here is a very fine retrospective on one of the greatest talents ever. In a video interview (on You-tube) that was done at the time of this release Tammy talks about the selection of the songs. She seemed pleased with them and commented favorably on the never heard You Can Steal Me and the infrequently heard The Deepening Snow. The songs are arraigned in chronological order so you can hear the evolution of Tammy from a rough studio performance of You Can Steal Me (supposedly one of the first recordings of her) to songs towards the end of her career. Some of the most moving songs (Painted Sky and Talking To Myself) are from the later part of her career. But throughout the compilation you hear the beyond human talent that is Tammy Wynette. I could go on and on about the depth of emotion the songs convey and the absolute perfection of her voice in them. However, I'll let you purchase this box set and enjoy them yourselves. The other day I was listening to Singing My Song on my cars 300 watt system. I thought I had it up too loud for a woman was walking up to my car in the shopping center parking lot as I was letting the song finish. Just as it finished and I opened my door she said, "It's so good to hear Tammy Wynette again" to which I thought, amen, and God bless you Tammy Wynette.
A pleasant walk through Tammy's world.... Feb 29, 2008
Virginia Wynette Pugh was born May 5, 1942 to a family of cotton pickers from the south, in Mississippi. Her father died when she was just 9 months old which would leave her to be raised by her grandparents. Virginia's father left her his music gene, which would later be a blessing to all the world.
As Virginia grew up she played piano in church, and the flute in her high school band. Virginia later married a man and had three children. After a lot of moving around, Virginia became restless, and wanted out, so she packed her things and her kids in the car and headed for Nashville, Tennessee in search for a career in country music. After a long walk up and down Nashville's Music Row, with a turn down from every record label, Virginia, as a last resort, walked into Producer Billy Sherrill's office on Music Row. Usually as a formality, a secretary would be sitting at the front desk, with a stern warning of, "you cannot go in there." But Virginia's luck began to change, when the front desk was empty. As she walked in a little further there sat Billy Sherrill. She got an audition with Billy, but he just wasn't sold on the songs Virginia was singing. So he told her, that he'd been tryin' to get a song that was beginning to make some noise on a much smaller label, but it was a no go. So he said to her, "Wanna record this song?" Virginia said, "sure." With that, Billy, told Virginia that she looked like Debbie Reynolds in the "Tammy" movies. So he suggested that she was a "Tammy. Thus, Tammy Wynette was born, as well as her first song, "Apartment # 9," in 1966. Great producer Billy Sherrill, and the very talented Tammy Wynette, racked up numerous # 1 songs. Among them was, "Stand By Your Man," which I have heard was written in 5 minutes.
This box set has 3 CD's, that's 67 songs. Not nearly enough in my opinion for a true Tammy Wynette fan. But the songs that are there, range from "Two Story House," with George Jones, to her duet with British popsters KLF. With Tammy's strong bible believing background, she sings "Precious Memories" with The Masters Five. Another song, one of my favorite songs, "Dear Daughters" which was written by Tammy herself in 1977, was a song to her daughters, including her daughter with ex-husband George Jones. With all these songs and more, Tammy Wynette has sold more albums and CD's than any other female in country music.
But sadly, April 6, 1998, would be a sad day for all of country music and its fans. Tammy Wynette, known as The First Lady Of Country Music, had died. I remember sitting in front of the TV for hours, watching her funeral. Three days later, fans and members of the music industry honored her with a televised memorial service broadcast from Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Tammy won election to the Country Music Hall of Fame later that year. She was 55. Way too young to be gone from us. But at least we can still honor Tammy by listening to her music. This box set is great! I grew up listening to what we now call "classic country," and Tammy Wynette was one of those great artists I remember growin' up listenin' to. I own this box set, and I've listened to it over and over and I am very pleased.
With all that said, the book that comes with the box set CD, leaves a person wondering about the writer of the information. I, personally would rather have more information about The Tammy Wynette we all knew, than having someone explain to me a bunch of euphemisms in every paragraph. Unless one cannot comprehend the information as it is, the euphemisms are truly useless. True, Tammy did have much, much more music, but believe me, this collection is great! You will enjoy it, as well as I have.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Sorry Sony, Box set below expecations. May 07, 2007
Folks,
The First Lady of Country Music is and will always be a 5 star Legend. I bought the boxset, and enjoyed it, BUT I give it 3 stars because:
1. Tammy has sang for decades (Is that all the songs you could come up with?).
2. Not Enough duet songs with George Jones.
3. Packaging is lousy and not showing enough respect to our beloved Legend.
It is shameful to know that the Great German company "Bear Family Records" continues to show more respect to Amercian Country music. Buying their box sets is truly a joy. Music sounds great, large number of songs, and the packaging is worth the price on it own.
Thanks,
Nawaf
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Tears Of Fire Mar 26, 2006
This is an excellent retrospective of Tammy's career. Among the more than 50 tracks are over twenty of her biggest hits, but it's not just a greatest hits collection. There are a few of her duets with George Jones, but that's not the focus of this release. Coming out in 1992, there are three previously unreleased tracks and many little known gems. The songs are nearly evenly distributed among the years, starting with her first hit "Apartment #9" in 1967 through three songs recorded in 1990-91. If you're just looking for the hits, there may be a better collection, but if you're a Tammy Wynette fan, this is indispensable. One of the highlights for me is her version of Mickey Newbury's "Poison Red Berries" from 1974, here still known by it's original name "I Don't Think About Him No More".
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Great Box Set Dec 18, 2005
I love this box set. CBS needs to put out Tears Of Fire 2. There are a bunch of greatest hits songs missing from this set:
Run, Angel Run
Almost Persuaded
Run, Woman, Run
You Can't Hang On
Still Around
The Only Time I'm Really Me
Our Last Night Together
The Wonders You Perform
There Goes That Old Steel Guitar
(You Make Me Want To Be) A Mother
Love's The Answer
Reach Out Your Hand
Womanhood
This Time I Almost Made It
I'd Like To See Jesus (On The Midnight Special)
These are from her original four Greatest Hits albums.
CBS also needs to do a box set with Tammy Wynette and George Jones.
|
| | |
