Bobbie Gentry - Bobbie Gentry - Greatest Hits

Forget-You-Not...ever

I was born 1944,
Like Frankie says:
'It Was A Good Year!'
Bobbie is The proof. August 3, 2008

great--as far as it goes, that is (three and one-half stars)

Bobbie Gentry - Greatest Hits is yet another disappointing release from good ol' Curb Records. Sure, these are great hits by Bobbie Gentry; but how can they call this all-too-brief CD a "greatest hits" CD? That does a disservice to Bobbie Gentry and it misleads the public. This is really a short album that is geared toward the casual fan who just wants a brief smattering of some of Bobbie's hits. The quality of the sound is, however, quite good; and the artwork is also nicely done.

"Ode To Billie Joe" starts the CD with one of Bobbie's greatest hits ever. "Ode To Billie Joe" tells the rather mysterious story of some people living in a rural area. We get a story involving suicide, a relationship between a young man and woman which might have been so frowned upon that people needed to deny it existed; snobbery and much, much more. The guitar work is excellent and I guess we'll never know why Billie Joe jumped off that bridge because Bobbie Gentry says she won't be giving away the answer anytime while she's living! "Ode To Billie Joe" is an incredibly strong beginning song for this album.

"Fancy" has a fine country melody that swings and sways just right to make this stick in your memory for quite some while to come. The strings are used to great advantage and Bobbie Gentry never sounded better! I love "Fancy" and I'm sure that you will, too--this is classic Bobbie Gentry and that's quite all right by me! "Morning Glory" is a very sensitive ballad that features Bobbie Gentry squarely in the spotlight--great! Bobbie sings this as if she really did just wake up-and her voice, ever so slightly gravelly on this tune, works very well. The strings sound great and the percussion also works to mark the beat.

"Slow Cookin'" is a rather cool song about a woman who's clearly attracted to a man she wants to make her own. This ballad rocks softly and the country music effect combines with the soft rock to create a heavenly melody. "Slow Cookin'" is an excellent tune and Bobbie Gentry delivers this with lots of feeling. "Steal Away" is another fine song that ahs Bobbie supported by a chorus; the melody is beautiful and "Steal Away" holds its own very well. In fact, I consider "Steal Away" to be a highlight of this album.

"All I Have To Do Is Dream" is a wonderful cover song; Bobbie and Glen Campbell sing this to perfection--and beyond! Bobbie and Glen ace this easily--their talents led them through this rather effortlessly. Great! "Let It Be Me" is another fine duet that covers a song by The Everly Brothers. This all works very well as the woodwind instruments complement the vocals oh so well on "Let It Be Me."

"Mississippi Delta" showcases Bobbie Gentry's ability to rock a country tune really hard; and the album ends strong with Bobbie Gentry performing "Penduli Pendulum." I don't recall this song but it grew on me rather quickly and it makes an interesting ending for this album.

Bobbie Gentry could really sing out a tune with the best of them--and the fact that Curb Records reduces her to a mere eleven songs for their "greatest hits" package annoys me. This is a CD geared toward casual fans; more diehard fans will want more substantial albums for sale on this website.
June 21, 2008

Talent, beauty and sympathy!

Bobbie Gentry was born surrounded of we might call kindled charisma, with his sweet voice, extraordinary beauty and fabulous intonation around the folk music.

The sixties decade was by far, the most competitive in which concerns singers, bands, appearing of new musical tendencies, creative mood and arrival of so many bands, sounds and diverse rhythms.

But Bobbie Gentry knew to maintain a low profile but hovered by an unforgettable presence so difficult to watch in these times when the raising and duration of a promising star is no longer than half decade.
August 2, 2007

this is the one

Even though there are longer Gentry compilations available, this one has the best selection of songs, ie, no duds. June 14, 2007

Americana Personified

"Ode To Billy Joe" was one of the most talked-about songs of 1967. Not only the mysterious events hinted at, but the clever lyrics and unique sound made it a masterpiece of its kind. Bobbie Gentry sang from a special point of view, and as a result, her country-folk-soul-Cajun music sounds like that of no one else. And she is not poking fun at Cajuns and "white trash" - she is singing of them with affection that comes from having lived among them. Her descriptions of people going to town by boat, seeing the cowboy show, catching a big fish to eat, and putting on a fancy dress to impress (and influence) a date are not over the top. I know, because I was born in southeastern Louisiana and have never lived anywhere else, so I know these people too.

So what else is good other than "Billy Joe"? Well, "Fancy" is certainly an entertaining song with an interesting moral point of view. "Mornin' Glory" is sweet, and could be addressed to a lover or a small child. "Louisiana Man" is just what you would expect: it has humor born of truth. "Slow Cookin" is hot and simmering, almost a slow disco song, with cooking as a metaphor for sex. "Steal Away" is another steamy song about secret encounters. "All I Have To Do Is Dream" and "Let It Be Me" are duets with Glen Campbell, so they sound closer to mainstream pop than the other tracks. "Mississippi Delta" is a companion piece to "Louisiana Man" - same humor, same truth, but it rocks harder than the other selections.

Bobbie's voice is deep and slightly hoarse, which to me suits her material. Same for her basic guitar work. She's no Celine Dion, but rather a definite part of the legacy of Americana.
May 18, 2007

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