If the urban (rural?) legends are correct, Patsy was singing for neighborhood amusement as early as age 3. For an idea of how much her stature looms, consider: The CMT cable channel placed 4 of her songs on its "100 Greatest Songs in Country Music" countdown and she was the ONLY artist to place 2 in the top 10 ("Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces"). She holds the record for most weeks on the U.S. charts for an album by a female artist (over 8 years, 251 of those weeks at #1, for "Greatest Hits". It sold over 6 million copies.). She has a 1995 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She's in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grammy Hall of Fame, and has her own postage stamp and a movie about her life. Radio and Records Magazine named her country radio's "Greatest Female Artist of the 20th Century". This box set attempts to properly examine her legacy. (It must have done pretty well: it's sold over 1.5 million copies!)

PROS:

8 of her 9 country top 10 hits are here, her 3 top 20's, and every other Top 100 country hit from while she was still alive. In addition, you get 3 pop hits that didn't chart country: "Heartaches","Who Can I Count On?", and "Strange".

Of her 45 singles (not counting posthumous reissues), you get 39 of the A and B sides and the discs are filled fairly well: Disc 1 runs 68 minutes, disc 2 67 minutes, disc 3 73 minutes, and the final disc goes 59 minutes.

Rarities: 10 radio transcriptions in decent quality , 1 alternate take of "Stop, Look and Listen" cut 4/22/56 replaces the Decca B side version, an unreleased version of "I Don't Wanta" from 1956, and 4 live cuts (3 from a 1961 performance in East Point, GA and gospel number "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" from the Ryman Auditorium,unknown vintage previously released as a 1965 single on Kapp label).

The booklet is informative and not only references 3 Patsy bios and vintage articles in Billboard, Music Reporter, and The Washington Star newspaper, but author Paul Kingsbury took the time to get interviews with other figures important in Patsy's life. (Interviews with Ralph Emery, 2 nd husband Charlie Dick, Hank Locklin, Minny Pearl, Harlan and Jan Howard, and Hank Cochran among them). You also get a foldout reproduction of the Nashville Banner news article about her lethal plane crash.

CONS:

Here's the studio material you DON'T get: "Hidin' Out" (a 1955 Coral A-side), "I Cried all the Way to the Altar (recorded 1/5/56), "Dear God" (recorded 4/22/56),"He Will Do for You" (recorded 4/22/56), "Fingerprints" (recorded 4/24/57), "A Stranger in my Arms" (B side of Decca single for "Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray"), "I Don't Wanta" (the Decca single, the box set has an earlier unreleased Coral recording), "Ain't No Wheels on this Ship" (recorded 5/23/57), "Stop the World" and "Walking Dream" (both sides of a 1958 Decca single), "Cry Not for Me" (B side of Decca 1959 single "Yes I Understand"), and a 1958 Decca single version of her concert-starter number "Come On In". Posthumously, two "duets" with Jim Reeves ("Have You Ever Been Lonely?",#5 country,1981,RCA label, and "I Fall to Pieces",#54 country,1982,MCA label). The 2nd of these at minimum should have made the cut since it wouldn't even have to be licensed. A similar duet with Bob Carlisle (of "Butterfly Kisses" fame) isn't here because it wasn't issued until after this set was compiled.

The last disc is quite a bit shorter than the first 3. It could have been used to put the Jim Reeves duet version of "Have You Ever Been Lonely?" on here, as well as perhaps a couple of the missing single A sides.

I feel taking some of the pieces out of the bio and utilizing them instead for a song-by-song commentary would make the set more "user friendly" when you just want tidbits about individual songs but this is a minor quibble.

BOTTOM LINE:

If you want a single purchase to examine the studio recordings made by Patsy, this is the closest to comprehensive you'll get. There's material from her time with Coral Records (Decca subsidiary), Kapp Records, and of course, Decca where she did the bulk of her work. Perhaps down the line they'll address the missing stuff, but for now buying "Four Star Recordings, Vol. I" (ASIN B0000252PZ) and "Four Star Recordings, Vol. II" (ASIN B00000INJV) will fill in nearly all the gaps.

4 1/2 stars

I hadn't heard much of Patsy Cline's music before I bought this box set but what a revelation! Not only did she have a beautiful voice (I DID know that) but what really surprised me is the different styles of music she performed. Actually, to label her just a "country singer" is simply not accurate, as a few of the songs border on rock and roll. She could sing a ballad with achingly heartfelt emotion or belt out a rockabilly number with ease. To the nonchalant, a few songs could be considered soundalikes, but with Patsy singing them you won't care that much; like the hip cliche these days, she could sing the phone book and make it sound good!

Another reviewer mentioned that there was some "filler" on this box set. That depends on your point of view. The songs themselves are not filler material; for the most part they are first-rate. However, from the label's perspective, there may have been slightly different versions of previous songs that were added simply to pad the total amount of songs in the box set. But, I don't believe this is necessarily a bad thing, because, if it's a great song it's interesting to hear a different version of it. Again, Patsy's voice makes it all worthwhile.

I would give this collection 10 stars if it was possible! Five stars does not give it justice. Patsy Cline's voice was a gift that is appreciated even more today, as style, looks and dance beats are emphasized more than talent and ability. Patsy was taken from us WAY too soon, as this collection will attest to. If you are not already a Patsy Cline fan, buy this box set and soon you will be!

The Country Music industry can pretty much be summed up, for me at least, as B.P, and A.P. Before Patsy, and after Patsy. The first time I heard her incredible voice, I was hooked. She had one of the most versatile voices in the music world, and her phenomenon is generally regarded as the first unplanned instance of "crossover" appeal, her songs becoming hits on the Pop charts, as well as the Country, which, at that time, had nowhere near the following that country music has today. People who HATE Country music...when you mention Patsy, they'll say, "Oh, well that's different, she was great !". She put her personal stamp on each song, investing a tremulous beauty, or a bluegrass swing, as needed. She took already famous songs that had become heavily identifiable with a particular artist, such as Hank Williams, and made them her own, through the sheer brilliance of her voice. I may be prejudiced in any appraisal of her work, because as far as I'm concerned, she could sing the local yellow pages, and I'd melt. This collection is the most extensive you're going to find. It's nicely chronologically presented, in four c.d.'s. Some may find the first two c.d.'s dated, but I found these songs, which remained pretty obscure...she had not yet achieved *star* status, as wonderful examples of roots music. The last two c.d.'s have all her hits, plus some great covers, some recorded live, including a swinging version of "Stupid Cupid" which ,like all the other songs, she turns into a great listen. Many songs in this collection were re-mastered, and the quality is pin-point sharp. When this collection came out, it became my gift-giving selection of choice that year. I wanted everyone to hear this incomprable artist. Two of my friends, teachers from Manhattan, who are very sophisticated, and more into opera than anything, bought this when they had heard its playing at my house. Their later evaluation: "There's not a bad song on it." Hype had nothing to do with Patsys fame, it was a natural reaction to a universal, God-given talent, and I feel her tragic death in 1963 has little to do with her legendary status. That was due to her talent, which many, many have tried to emulate and repeat, all to no avail. When you mention the name "Patsy Cline", they ALL hold her in reverence. She could put across a heartbreaking ballad, her voice cracking... growl out a bluesy swing-dance tune, inject a yodel to curl your toes, or sing a Gospel song to bring tears to your eyes. Her recordings have remained consistent bestsellers every year since her death, evoking a memory of a different and simpler time, of county fairs, simple folk, and the American dream. Her voice is used to reflect that time in more movies than any other singer, and her recording of "Crazy" is still the number one juke box request to this day. In case you couldn't tell, I HIGHLY recommend this great collection, by one of the greatest singers ever. She defies description, analysis, etc..her voice is simply to be enjoyed, as you would any great work of art or natural wonder. There was only one Patsy.

Before I start my review, let me just say that I've not yet really fully listened to this set. I've only listened to disc 1 in full and am listening to disc 2 now, and I've skimmed over the other two discs, just to get an idea of sound quality and such.

I was never a big Patsy Cline fan growing up. I never really knew much of her material or anything like that. She just wasn't an artist I was exposed to much until just a few years ago, when I saw the

at the library and decided to check it out. 35 minutes and twelve songs later, I was a fan. The way she could wrap her rich emotive voice around those twelve songs, most of which were classic songs of heartbreak, captivated me, and I was a bit frustrated at the brevity of the collection and wanted more. Just about a month ago, I finally got my wish.

Whereas Greatest Hits gives you twelve songs that total under 35 minutes and is great for the casual fan or as a start to discovering her catalogue, this set, which gives you nearly four and a half hours of music on four CDs and a total of 104 recordings spanning an all too short eight and a half years between her first radio performances to her final studio sessions and concluding with a priceless live recording of Just A Closer Walk With Thee, with everything in chronological order, with the exception of the aforementioned live performance, in which the date of performance is unknown.

This set does something that Greatest Hits doesn't - it contains much of her work for Four Star Records, which includes the original hit version of Walkin' After Midnight. (The version included on Greatest Hits is a remake she recorded for her 1961 Decca album

which turned her original more country-fied mono hit into a more pop-styled stereo recording. That version is also included on this set.) It also shows her progression from more of a pure country sound, which included plenty of honky tonk and even material bordering on rock and roll, to the pop crossover sound she's best known for today.

In addition to most of her studio recordings, this set contains several priceless treasures. Ten performances from radio programs are included on here, most if not all taken from 12 or 16 inch vinyl records. Some live concert performances are also present, as well as a few alternate takes. These live concert recordings and radio performances offer us a chance to hear some songs that Patsy never recorded in a studio or just hear how she interpreted some of her own singles when performing on radio or live in concert.

The sound quality of this set, for the most part, is outstanding. For a box set released in 1991, when digitally remastering music for release on the compact disc format was basically in its infancy and a lot of CDs of classic music were still being released with lousy sound despite the engineers and producers doing the best they could to improve it, (See the

for an example of this.) this sounds like it was just released last week. Excessive noise is removed, but never to the point to where the audio quality is compromised. Whether taken from mono master tapes, two or three track stereo master tapes, or vinyl records, the best possible care was taken to make sure that these songs sound the best they possibly can for an outstanding listening experience.

The loving care given to this set does not stop with the actual music, but also spills over into the packaging. Inside a nice large white box, with a gorgeously color-tinted photo of Patsy on the cover, houses a plastic tray which holds a FANTASTIC 60+ page book with photos, friends and famous fans giving their thoughts on Patsy, essays on her career, and information on recording sessions. Much of the material included in this book is as priceless as the music itself. A foldout page inside includes a reproduction of the front page of The Nashville Banner the day that Patsy's life was ended by a plane crash on one side, and a tinted photo of Patsy in cowgirl garb riding in a car during a 1955 parade on the other side. Wire service bulletins sent out during the night after the fateful plane crash giving incoming info are also included, giving a sense of the anxiety that fans were experiencing that night as more and more details were being reported. Photos of Patsy recording, performing, at home, with friends, etc. make the book a priceless addition to this set. Underneath this book lies the CDs themselves, each one housed in its own jewel case, each one with a different gorgeous tinted photo of Patsy on the cover. When you open the case, on the other side of the front cover is a nice black and white photo of Patsy performing for radio or fans...or in the case of disc 2, just relaxing in a chair wearing a fabulous fur stole.

Sadly, this box set is now out of print, and depending on when you check, used copies can be a bit pricey now, or they can be very reasonable. Whatever you decide to pay for this collection, it's absolutely worth it for the vast array of music you get, as well as the fantastic book that comes with the set. If you're wanting to get a taste of her material outside the 12 measly tracks from Greatest Hits and discover how varied her style actually was, I can't think of anything better to do that with than this set. Almost any Patsy Cline recording you could ever want is in this lovingly packaged and remastered set. Don't hesitate to own it and discover the best of what Patsy had to offer us. Like many of the greats, such as Judy Garland and Karen Carpenter, Patsy's life and career were all too short, and it's saddening to think of what more they could have contributed to entertainment had life not ended so soon for them. However, just like Judy and Karen, as long as there are people to listen to these precious recordings, Patsy will never truly be gone.

Country Music TV recently aired a special "The Top 40 Female Country Stars", and by vote of many important folks in the country music business, including performers, record company execs, DJs, etc, Patsy Cline was ranked #1. Duhh. Anybody who has ever really listened to her sing knows that. It borders on magic the way she communicates with her music. If she doesn't make you feel something, nobody can. This CD has her important and less important recordings, and the volume of work is far, far too small for someone with that talent, regrettably. She should have still been around to sing "BLUE", which was superbly performed by Lee Ann Rimes, but I cannot help thinking how much better Patsy would have done it. This is the only set of Patsy Cline recordings to buy, it's about all that is available and every song is therefore too precious to pass up. I miss her so much and never even saw her in person or met her.