JEAN SHEPARD —THE FIRST LADY OF COUNTRY (Jasmine Records) 2CDS

[Maurice Hope]

http://www.jasmine-records.co.uk

 

Oh, boy what a wonderful country collection! There are 48 tracks no less to drool over. For not only does Jean Shepard have a voice that weeps country (she also does heap of songs steeped in heartache, cheating and love gone bad) but musical accompanied rich in steel guitar, tinkling piano, fiddle and a great rhythm section.

 

Four cds are featured on the two cds (1956, 1958, 1959, 1961), and though apart from ‘A Satisfied Mind’ and ‘Beautiful Lies’ amazingly there aren’t any other hits. But this in no way is a reflection of the material on offer. For in the likes of ‘Girls In Disgrace’, the dashing ‘Sad Singin’ And Slow Ridin’ plus such stellar fare as ‘Did I Turn Down A Better Deal’ and killer version of the Jim Reeves hit ‘I Love You Because’ (Leon Payne) and we are only half way through the 48 songs there is a surplus of riches. From the second disc you have ‘Two Whoops And A Holler’ and with her voice ever pure and straight as an arrow she eases her way through ‘The Other Woman’ and ‘Under Suspicion’. Then from her 1961 album Got You On My Mind (the first album This Is Jean Shepard has material that goes back as far as 1952) with material as good and diverse as ‘Blues Stay Away From Me’ (Delmore Bros), ‘Waltz of The Angels’ and Buck Owens ‘Under Suspicion’ and even a version of ‘Mockin’ Bird Hill’ country music’s purest female singing voice shows herself not only to be the definite singer of a country song but others too!

 

                                                            Maurice Hope