Classic Country Volume 6: Sony Ladies (Various Artists)

Classic Country Volume 6: Sony Ladies has a title that accurately describes its contents. The disc is a hodgepodge of country chart hits by female artists released by Sony. The eighteen selections here represent multiple decades and degrees of popularity, containing everything from a big hit that even crossed over to the pop market to a minor hit that scraped the bottom of the country chart then disappeared. It's therefore perhaps more useful to examine its individual parts.

Tracks:
1. Bobbie Cryner: "Daddy Laid the Blues on Me" (#63 Country / 1993)
This is a cool country-blues number. Good song.

2. Shelby Lynne: "Things Are Tough All Over" (#23 Country / 1991)
Lynne is still around and recording. This is one of her earlier selections, and one of her more commercially successful ones. It's a nice tune.

3. Tina Rainford: "Silver Bird" (#25 Country / 1977)
Great song! It was produced by German recording star Drafi Deutscher. It sounds pretty pop to me, but I really like it.

4. Joy White: "Little Tears" (#68 Country / 1992)
A solid 1990s country tune. Fairly clever songwriting.

5. Dolly Parton: "Dumb Blonde" (#24 Country / 1967)
One of Parton's earliest hits that has endured fairly well. Still a fairly well-known tune, I believe. Well-liked, and it deserves the admiration.

6. Lynn Anderson: "Isn't It Always Love" (#10 Country / 1979)
A Karla Bonoff song, and it sounds it. Nice song with lyrics that give a fairly relatable examination of love.

7. Calamity Jane: "I've Just Seen a Face" (#44 Country / 1982)
A country-pop remake of the Beatles song. It's actually one of the reasons I wanted this disc, as it's quite a good version. Definitely recommend it.

8. Sweethearts of the Rodeo: "Since I Found You" (#7 Country / 1986)
A good song, but as mentioned in my recent Sweethearts CD review, I prefer others from them.

9. Debbie Lori Kaye: "Come on Home" (#68 Country / 1968)
An early weeper. It works pretty well.

10. Barbara Fairchild: "Baby Doll" (#6 Country / 1974)
Another weeper. Fairchild has a good voice, but I'm not a huge fan of this song. A bit too maudlin or something.

11. Sue Richards: "Feel Free to Go" (#56 Country / 1971)
"Stay 'cause you want me, not 'cause you feel like you're tied." It's a pretty sentiment, delivered simply but pleasantly. I like it. It makes a nice love song.

12. Terri Lane: "Daisy May (And Daisy May Not)" (#37 Country / 1973)
This is solid 1970s country-pop. It's somewhat reminiscent of Lynn Anderson's rendition of "Rose Garden" production-wise. Not sure why it didn't become a bigger hit, because it's a good song and it sounds like it could have crossed over.

13. Joni Bishop: "Heart Out of Control" (#71 Country / 1987)
I like this one. Something about the way the vocals are delivered, I think. Not that it's a unique structure, but it's just a cool style. I wish I had the musical background to describe it. Anyway, it's a good song.

14. Sammi Smith: "So Long, Charlie Brown, Don't Look for Me Around" (#69 Country / 1968)
This is another one whose lack of success surprises me. It seems to have what it takes. It's a lyrical brush-off that includes some well-crafted verses and a chorus that builds upon itself. Very cool selection.

15. June Stearns: "Empty House" (#47 Country / 1968)
It sounds a bit older than 1968 to me. Maybe that's what held it back. Her vocals are a bit drowned by some of the instrumentation and backing singers, too. Not sure if that's just the remastering here or the production of the original song. Not a bad song, but it could use some cleaning.

16. Mary Kay Place: "Baby Boy" (#3 Country, #60 Pop / 1976)
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman impacts the music charts. It's not a bad song. Amusing enough. Fun, even.

17. Marshall Chapman: "Why Can't I Be Like Other Girls?"
This didn't hit the country charts, and that's not surprising. That's not to say it's a bad song - it's actually quite cool. But it doesn't sound any too country. It's Southern rock, maybe with a little blues influence thrown in. Country radio has never been broad enough to attack anything like this. It sure has a killer guitar solo, though. It was released on her album Marshall in 1979.

18. Connie Smith: "('Til) I Kissed You" (#10 Country / 1976)
This is a version of the hit by The Everly Brothers from 1959. It's a decent version. Nothing terribly exciting about it, but it's a good song and Connie Smith sings it well.