The description of Cline that comes to mind for me every time one of her songs is played or even just her name comes up, was this one by David McGee in the 1992 Rolling Stone album guide: "Kitty Wells had retreated to less controversial ground after her 1952 hit, `It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels' had found a sizable audience for its distaff point of view; Cline, on the other hand remained a bulwark of feminine fortitude to the end of her life."

And this strength is apparent in every song the woman sings, no matter how much heartbreak the lyrics include. Patsy would probably reject the word `feminist' and all the negative connotations its picked up over the years, but if we limited its meaning to that of unshakable confidence and self-awareness it would certainly encompass Patsy. Her every performance suggests a woman keenly aware of the scope of her talent, and she applied like the unerring pro she was.

Songs like "She's Got You," "I Fall To Pieces" and especially "Crazy" were substantially crossing over to the pop charts and pulling in even young rock and roll fans like I already was by that time. Had she lived, Patsy would surely have continued this accomplishment to even greater heights. Her first No. 1 pop hit was only one or two records away, no doubt. But once I heard her, even this 50-year-old R&B fan knew the Real Deal when I came upon it, and Patsy Cline is IT.

This hard living, hard loving, country diva had one of the most emotive voices in the history of country music. In her too short career, cut prematurely in a plane crash, she managed to put together a notable roster of musical hits and was a crossover sensation.

This is an absolutely definitive CD. There is simply not one bad cut on it, with stand outs such as: "Crazy", "She's Got You", "Back in Baby's Arms", "Why Can't He Be You", and "Leaving on Your Mind". Ten of the cuts on this CD were top ten tunes on the pop charts of the time, while seven of them made the top ten on the country charts. Fans of Ms. Cline's, as well as those music lovers just wanting a great CD, would be well satisfied with it, more so now that it has been re-mastered and available at a give away price.

This Patsy Cline primer was first released in 1967, and its first CD incarnation in 1988 was acceptable but Patsy's voice (we'll get to that in a minute) sounded muted and lost. What a nice surprise (even though I shelled out money for the 1988 CD) it is to hear a much improved mix that brings Patsy to the front.

This CD is a must for casual listeners of her country-soul sound as it showcases a musical powerhouse that knocks you off your feet with its subtle intensity and melody. She does not resort to the histrionics of other artists and she knew that sometimes you can express much more by being less showy.

This collection includes a dozen simply brilliant songs from Cline's catalog. The biggest and best-known hits are here, such as: "Walkin' After Midnight," "Crazy," "Sweet Dreams," "He's Got You", and some that you may not have heard before ("You're Stronger Than Me", "She's got you," and "Why Can't He Be You)."

Patsy in an amazing artist who was a pioneer by setting a well-deserved place on the table for female country artists. In short, if you're a casual listener looking for a good single-disc Patsy Cline collection, for more hard-core fans there is the amazing 4 set box set titled "The Patsy Cline Collection", which gathers it all.

Some professional reviewers have been a little harsh about this CD in that its cover is exactly the same as when it was first released and it has the original notes. I actually love that. You'll also find an updated perspective of how her work has been perceived since this collection was initially released. A no-brainer 5 stars if there ever was one.

Patsy Cline projects a vulnerablitiy and tenderness that is so irresistible when she sings a ballad. Patsy did not merely sing the words; she lived her songs as if each one had been written from personal experience, and she communicates that intimacy to her fans. Her tremulous, emotional voice could (and often does) move a person to tears; it seems to touch one's very soul. To listen to Patsy Cline sing is to experience the divine. I highly recommend this album.

I guess maybe it was the simpler times, the country living

but whatever it was Patsy Cline recorded some of the most

intense vocal arrangements accompanied with equal intensity by

Owen Bradley & band and his legendary sophisticated sound with the Jordanaires. Their

silky smooth harmonies riding along side that haunting, bluesy

edged voice just chills the air, nothing has ever matched this

combination, it worked with so little frill, Patsy just went

in and cut the track and that was that. Professional till the

end. I bought the box set when it came out years ago on cd

and I couldn't believe my ears how many quality songs she

had tackled, some really bluesy numbers, a superior sound on

the 4 cd box set as well, the #1 female country

artist thats ever recorded. After watching the female country

countdown of the greatest singers on TV the other evening, I wasn't surprised Patsy

Cline was voted #1.