 Connie Smith Whenever the conversation turns to country music and someone invariably gets a sour expression and spits out "I HATE country!," that's when I dash off to grab The Essential Connie Smith and start' the convertin'. Truly classic music by any measure, this is the sort of country music most people actually like, although they think of "country music" in the abstract as a fairly odious thing. These same people don't consider Patsy Cline country because "that's different." Am I referring to anyone or anything specific? Of course not, am I ever? Connie was the female country superstar between Patsy and Dolly, and she still very much towers over female country artists as a primary influence. Her ability to put across the humor and pathos of the classic Nashville songwriters is still pretty much unbeaten except possibly by Dolly – no offense to Shania, Trisha, or Reba, but you all is just pretenders to the crown. The Essential Connie Smith gathers twenty of Connie's hits from 1965 to 1972, and I must say, I would much rather listen to these sides than almost anything the rock genre gave us during that "revolutionary time." Maybe that makes me reactionary, although in my mind I can't see why 60s rock is still afforded its anti-establishment laurels. 60s country – now that is revolutionary. Great songs conveyed with genuine personality and impeccable arrangements played by real musicians. I wish someone would try to do that today. Nowadays it's all "yar, yar, yar" and a bunch of guitars. This is the sort of disc that feels warm and friendly upon first listen, and gradually grows to reveal its through-and-through greatness over repeat listens. Long-time country music fans will know the songs, but anyone curious about exploring country will be rewarded immensely by the many wonderful moments. The songs mainly hinge on a clever turn of phrase ("Once a Day," for example: "The only time I wish you weren't gone/Is once a day, every day, all day long"), but the persona is a somewhat comically pathetic one that Connie puts forth with subtlety and self-deprecation. Her voice is big and twangy, and the players are incredibly tight. The instrumentation is generally steel guitar, bass, drums, background vocals, acoustic guitar, and piano, illustrating the classic country sound as well as any songs I can think of. Almost every track is great, most are hilarious, as in the wonderfully pathetic "I found three ways to ease the pain – cry, cry, cry." Better than any blues musicians at picking the right words to say, Connie Smith is a plain delight for any mood, but especially those when a little humor will make things look a lot brighter. "Ribbon of Darkness" is the best song on here, as good (I'd even argue better) than "Wichita Lineman" of any of the accepted "country classics" you can name. But it's hardly the only great song: "The Hurtin's All Over" ("all over me"), "I Can't Remember" ("I think he left with Dan/But what if he said Ann?"), "Run Away Little Tears," "Ain't Had No Lovin'," "Then and Only Then," "Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" – every listen offers a different favorite song, and the disc has a much longer-lasting shelf-life than the typical country CD, even among the artists from the classic era. This is one that wins the argument when the person who "hates country" insists that there are no good country CD's. I would hardly call myself a huge country fan, as I'm more of a fetishist and really have only gained a foothold in country music within the last couple of years, but I will say that The Essential Connie Smith lives up to its "essential" name, and pays great tribute to one of country music's most conspicuously unsung legends. Nashville may have left Connie behind when she gave up country music to raise her kids (now you know she's sincere about country music), but Connie's got the last laugh – look at Nashville now. Connie, on the other hand, is still going strong.
Review by Wimpsome Tearle |