You don't have to be a Kenny Rogers fan to enjoy this collection. I mean, it's got 42 great songs, including two new ones - two cds for the price of one!

I knew all the favorites of course, lustily and badly singing along to "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", "Reuben James", "Lucille", "The Gambler", "She Believes In Me", "You Decorated My Life", "Coward Of The County", "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer", "Lady", "Through The Years", "We've Got Tonight", "Buried Treasure", "Buy Me A Rose" and of course "Islands In The Stream".

This is karaoke heaven, especially if you have a singing partner who sounds and looks like Dolly Parton.

Like him or not, Kenny Rogers is an integral part of country music, and this album nicely summarises all his best work in one compact package.

Highly recommended for every collection (even if you don't play it everyday)

Amanda Richards August 8, 2004

Their are many compilation albums on Kenny Rogers. For the best over-view of the hit's this is likely the best one, though (even with 40 plus songs) this is not comprehensive and misses a fair amount of great songs off (like other reviews state it is impossible to fit all of Rogers hits on a 2 cd collection).

Rogers began recording in the 1950's, he toured with pop and jazz bands in the early days, as well as having a solo career in between groups. He didn't record any country back then but it was the music he was raised on. After a stint with a folk outfit (The New Christy Minstrels) Rogers found The First Edition and it is with this group he would begin recording country music with, though with a rock-pop edge.

The first edition first hit the big time in 1968 with "Just Dropped In (Too See What Condition My Condition Was In)", which made the top 5. It is this country-rocker that opens the album (Mickey Newbury wrote this song which has a phallic feel). Rogers became the lead singer of the group (as it was his songs that were the hits) and the group name was changed in 1969 to "Kenny Rogers and The 1st Edition". Two hits from that year, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" and "Reuben James" follow, today both are regarded as classics among music fans.

In 1970, the groups success was still going strong and they had several more hit's (of which "Tell It All Brother", "Something's Burning" and 1971's "Someone Who Cares") are included here. Between the years of 1972 and 1976, however, the groups popularity steadily declined, although they had their own TV show by now and charted some more hit's (such as "Take My Hand" and "Today I Started Loving You Again") no music from their final years is included here.

In 1976 Rogers signed to United Artists Records and had a solo top 40 with "Love Lifted Me" (included here). It was the following year, however, with "Lucille" (also included) that he topped the charts in no less than 12 countries and became a world-wide solo star. Between 1977 and 1980 he had a noteworthy run of number 1 singles such as "The Gambler", "Coward Of The County", "Lady", "She Believes In Me", etc, etc. It was during this period some of his greatest ever works were made, under the production of the now legendry, Larry Butler.

In 1980 Rogers and Butler's partnership came to an end (on a amicable basis) and Kenny recruited Soul singer, Lionel Richie to produce some of his records. More classics were made, such as "I Don't Need You" , "Blaze Of Glory" and "Through The Years" (all hit's in 1981). Rogers switched producers again in 1982, working with David Foster, and scored another huge number 1 hit with "Love Will Turn You Around".

In 1983, Rogers changed producers again. He also changed record labels, singing a mega bucks deal with RCA for an Elvis-like amount. While some have claimed Rogers time at RCA wasn't successful, it was. His first album "Eyes That See In The Dark", produced by the bee gees, sold extremely well. The album featured several hit singles too, "This Woman", "Buried Treasure" and "Islands In The Stream".

Rogers next two projects were also successful, "What About Me?" was an album that charted for 9 months in 1984 and scored two number 1 hits the title cut (a performance with Kim Carnes and James Ingram) and "Crazy", although only the latter cut is included here.

In 1985, Rogers teamed up with Beatles producer, George Martin, for the album "The Heart Of The Matter", which produced a trio of hit singles and great album cuts, however, only one track "Morning Desire" is included (not that I don't like this track, but if only one of the albums singles was to be included, if it was up to me, I would have gone "Tomb Of The Unknown Love", as it would give a better reflection of Rogers time as RCA among the other cuts).
The sweet thoughtful "Twenty Years Ago" and top 3 hit from 1986's great "They Don't Make Them Like They Used To" album is also here. Another 1980's hit, "The Vows Go Unbroken" (top 10 in 1989) is also in the lineup here.

This album doesn't contain many 1990's cuts. Rogers number 1 hit from the start of the decade, "Crazy In Love" is missing off this collection, as is another early-1990's top 40 success "If You Want To Find Love". By the time 1993 rolled around, both pop and country radio were ignoring Rogers new material (although they were content to play his old hits) and some say Rogers disappeared in this period. It's not true. Rogers was still recording and was still having success. In the mid-1990's he did the TV special "Vote For Love" where he performed requests for the greatest love songs ever (and several of his own hits were included). The soundtrack to this album was a top seller. Rogers was soon back in the singles charts too with "The Greatest" (a great song about life from a kids point of view).

Rogers has also recorded some great duets over the years. This album features a sample. The most recent being the 2004 duet with Whitney Duncan, "My World is over". Ronnie Milsap guest stars on 1987's chart topper "She's Mine", Dolly Parton sings with Kenny on 1983's "Islands In The Stream", another 1983 duet with Sheena Easton is "We've Got Tonight", Kim Carnes turns up twice, once with James Ingram on 1984's "What About Me?" and again on 1980's "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer" and of course, Dottie West is here too. West was Rogers regular singing partner in the late 1970s and early 1980s and 6 of the 20 plus duets they recorded together are on this set.

The album ends with some recent hit's, such as "It's A Beautiful Life" and the number 1 single "Buy Me A Rose".

Whilst not a complete look at the best of Rogers works, this is a good collection and at the moment (besides his box set, which features cuts from 1955 to 1998) is the best compilation of his music.

Whether or not you like his music, you can't deny Kenny Rogers is one of the most prolific and commercially successful artists ever. This two-disc restrospective 42 Ultimate Hits is the first collection other than his box set Through The Years to contain recordings from each of his labels since he first hit the charts in the `60s.

Five recordings by Rogers with the First Edition (1967-1970, on Reprise) lead off the first disc and they are an impressively versatile lot. There's the psychedelic "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," the sexy, r & b lavored "Something's Burning" and best of all, the folk tales "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" and "Reuben James." Sorely missed here, however, is their sweet country-pop hit "But You Know I Love You."

The First Edition broke up in 1975 and Rogers signed a solo deal with United Artists (later folded into Liberty, then Capitol) records. These are the recordings that made Rogers a superstar and they comprise 25 of the 42 tracks found here). Rogers' initial producer at United Artists, Larry Butler, encouraged Rogers to make his sandpapery vocals a trademark (created by rehearsing until hoarse and straining to hold those almost out of reach notes). Rogers' early solo hits like Lucille," "The Gambler," "Coward Of The County," "Lady," and "Love Will Turn You Around" were strong representatives of cross-over country during the Urban Cowboy era. With one major exception: "You Decorated My Life." Who was that intended for, Martha Stewart?

The real highlight of Rogers' United Artists/Liberty years were the duets. Pairing Rogers with diverse artists like Kim Carnes("Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer") and Sheena Easton ("We've Got Tonight") provided a great showcase for his harmonic talents. Even better are the half-dozen singles that Rogers recorded with the late Dottie West during the late '70s. Their mixture of honey (West) and gravel (Rogers) made for a surprisingly tasty mix, especially on the jazzy "What Are We Doin' In Love" and the delightfully lustful "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight."

Dolly Parton succeeded West as Rogers' duet partner in the '80s when he jumped to the RCA label, but their potent natural blend on the megahit "Islands In The Streams" was weakened by their overly loud backup singers/producers, the Bee Gees. "Islands" is followed here by five more hits from Rogers' RCA years (1983-1988), including the beautifully reflective "Twenty Years Ago," the horny "Morning Desire" and the Ronnie Milsap duet, "Make No Mistake, She's Mine." Unfortunate omissions from the RCA era include the galloping "Evening Star," and the chart-topping Parton collaboration "Real Love."

Slighted even more on this set is Rogers' late '80s - early '90s tenure on Reprise. By this point, country radio was concentrating on the new traditionalists and Rogers was no longer topping the charts. He made some wonderfully eclectic music, however, like the intergalactic cowboy ode "Planet Texas," the inspirational "When You Put Your Hear In It" and the wedding anthem "The Vows Go Unbroken," but only the latter recording is included here. Check out Through The Years for a more healthy sampling of the RCA and Reprise solo eras.

After some lean recording years, Rogers made an improbable but highly successful comeback in 1999 with the one-two punch of the humorous baseball saga "The Greatest" and the number one hit "Buy Me A Rose" for his own Dreamcatcher label. The three new tracks that follow and close this collection - including "My World Is Over" with Shania Twain-soundalike Whitney Duncan - reveal Rogers is still making quality music. Even if they fail to reach the upper regions, he's had - as this impressive set reminds us - a hell of a ride.

This collection traces Kenny's music from his hits with the First Edition up to his comeback with Buy me a rose. It does not contain all his hits - there are too many to include in a double CD - but it includes all the classics such as Ruby don't take your love to town, Lucille, The gambler, Coward of the county and Lady. A 4-CD boxed set (Through the years) is available for those who want a more comprehensive collection, though it doesn't contain any of his comeback hits. While a lot of great songs are necessarily missing from this double CD, Love will turn you around (surprisingly omitted from the boxed set) is included.

The collection contains many of Kenny's American country and pop hits of the seventies and eighties, a few of which also made the British pop charts (and all his British hits are included). The set includes five duets with Dottie West (a vastly under-appreciated singer) and one duet each with Kim Carnes (Don't fall in love with a dreamer), Dolly Parton (Islands in the stream), Sheena Easton (We've got tonight) and Ronnie Milsap (Make no mistake she's mine). Among his solo tracks on this CD, you will have your own favorites. Lucille is the song that turned me on to Kenny's music and I still think it's his best - but not by much. I particularly like Scarlet fever and Blaze of glory. Note that Daytime friends is a solo track, not a duet wth Dottie.

If you only want one Kenny Rogers collection and don't want to buy the boxed set, this set is the one to buy. I still get immense pleasure from listening to him, even though I've heard some of the songs hundreds of times.

Putting re-recorded hits on a collection without letting the buyer know is reprehensible. Kenny, I thought you were the "Gambler", not the "Swindler". Boooooo!