Audio CD review:
Keith Whitley - RCA Country Legends

Keith Whitley - RCA Country Legends

Band: Keith Whitley Title: RCA Country Legends Rating: Release Date: 2002-03-05 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Some Old Side Road 2: A Day In The Life Of A Fool 3: Ten Feet Away 4: I Never Go Around Mirrors 5: The Birmingham Turnaround 6: Homecoming '63 7: Hard Livin' 8: Don't Close Your Eyes 9: When You Say Nothing At All 10: I'm No Stranger To The Rain 11: I Wonder Do You Think Of Me 12: Lucky Dog 13: Brotherly Love (with Earl Thomas Conley) 14: Pick Me Up On Your Way Down 15: Quittin' Time 16: 'Til A Tear Becomes A Rose (with Lorrie Morgan)

Just As Good As The Rest This isn't necessarily a greatest hits disc. Okay, so this album doesn't contain "Miami, My Amy," but that can be found on the other countless Keith Whitley greatest hits collections. Instead, it offers us the songs that make Whitley deserving of the title "Country Legend. " Before Garth came along and "popped up" country, there was a heavy lean toward neo-Traditionalist Country. That lean was lead by country heavyweights George Strait and Keith Whitley(Alan Jackson would soon pick up the slack left by Whitley after his untimely death). With Whitley's death, the floodgates opened for acts like Garth Brooks who strayed from traditional country to reach a larger audience. I'm not knocking Brooks, mind you, I just hold him responsible for pushing "real" country to the back of the line. Whitley was great, there's no denying that. He's the closest thing to Merle Haggard that ever existed. Songs like "The Birmingham Turnaround" and "I'm No Stranger To The Rain" scream Haggard, but are all Keith Whitley as well. Both of those tunes are found on this disc. Other greats included here are "Some Old Side Road," "Don't Close Your Eyes," and the REAL version of "When You Say Nothing At All. " Shame on NPR darling Allison Krauss for botching up that song! There are a couple of duets here and "Hard Livin'," which has a Hank, Jr. feel to it. Everything else here only solidifies Whitley's spot in Country Music history. For folks interested in hearing some great neo-traditionalist country, you can't go wrong with Whitley. If you enjoy him, check out Alan Jackson, George Strait, Brad Paisley, and the legendary Merle Haggard. I guarantee you'll love'em all. Long since Garth's flame died out, we still talk about Keith Whitley as an important and crucial piece of Country music's history. I'm sure that well beyond the days when we see the burnout of acts like Rascal Flatts and Shania Twain, it will be Whitley who will still be considered one of the greatest artists of all time. Rest in peace, Mr. Whitley, you aren't forgotten. . Pretty good Keith Whitley record A to Miami from 1985 it was Whitley's first commercial album and really contained some good songs and they do not sell it anymore just because maybe the guy is dead and they feel they don't have to print it anymore. I think what most people would like to see is RCA release the now out of print for some time album titled L. This cd released most recently is very good it has alot of his most memorable songs on here but majority of these songs are on Dont Close your Eyes and and on the Essential Keith Whitley so Rca tried here it does though contain a song called Quittin Time from L. a to Miami that has not been heard in a while but they could have done better on this album. They also tend to always leave out a great song called Somebody's doin me right it is only found on the Kentucky Bluebird album and that is out of print to. Another Near Miss On Keith Whitley's RCA Years It's not just missing Miami, My Amy (#14, 1986), but it all but neglects his final CD. This is RCA's fifth attempt at compiling Keith Whitley's RCA years, and it still falls short of their first (Greatest Hits from 1990). Eight of these 16 songs are on 1988's Don't Close Your Eyes, while his last CD, 1989's I Wonder Do You Think Of Me only gets ONE (!?) song (the title track). Makes you wonder if Rich Kienzle (the compiler and liner notes writer for this CD) has something against Whitley's final album. The compilation as a whole might be a good 2nd Hits album for the Whitley novice. The performances, of course, are great. The sound is good and the liner notes are 2002 up-to-date. But if you're looking to start your RCA Whitley collection, here's 3 to own first: Greatest Hits (1990), I Wonder Do You Think Of Me (1989) and Don't Close Your Eyes (1988). Count this as another near-miss on compiling Keith Whitley's RCA years. This stuff never gets old This album gives us 16 of Keith Whitley's best hits. One of Country's biggest tragedies to this day is the unfortunate early death of Keith Whitley. 10 of these were top 20's. Although this is basically another compilation album, it is still definitely worth buying. Every now and then we get treated to a cd filled with all new remastered unreleased material, but there is nothing new is on this album. Maybe someday the record companies will finally wake up and give us a live album from their music vaults. For those who don't know him this album is Definitely worth buying. I have listened to this album over and over again. . . . . . . . . . . again this stuff never gets old. You can see a complete list of all Keith Whitley discography, or go back to the Keith Whitley tabs