I've loved the Browns since I was a little girl. This recording represents all that country can be,especially the well loved Three Bells.Only Jim Reeves could do as well with a ballad. I won't write a biography but I will say that it's been over thirtyfive years and I still love these songs.
March 11, 2008 |  | Both musical careers of Jim Ed Brown |  |
The CD features songs Jim Ed Brown recorded with his sisters, Maxine and Bonnie, and later as a solo artist. The Browns songs include their #1 crossover, "The Three Bells (Los Trois Cloches)" and the equally spiritual themed ballad, "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)". Both favorite songs of mine. They cover The Louvin Brothers' "I Take The Chance", Hank Locklin's "Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On" and "They Call The Wind Maria" (from the musical "Paint Your Wagon"). Wish this CD also included their cover of Jim Reeves' "Then I'll Stop Loving You". Jim Ed's solo hits include "Pop A Top", written by the late Nat Stuckey and later covered by Alan Jackson. Also beautiful, uplifting songs, "Angel's Sunday" and "Morning".
May 13, 2007This CD brought back so many great memories from our teenage years. Always loved The Three Bells and now we can listen to it "whenever". Great music.
January 19, 2007Jim Ed Brown remains one of the purist voices in Country Music, and it is doubtful there will ever be anyone as smooth. This album begins with 6 of the biggest hits of the Browns (Jim Ed, and his Sisters). While I realize this review is for Jim Ed, the harmonies of the Brown trio are simply astounding. There is absolutely nothing to compare to the vocals you'll hear on "I Take the Chance" or the famous "Three Bells". After leaving the Browns for his solo career, Jim Ed retained his trademark style of delivering a song, but like may in the early '70's, seemed to have lost his musical roots. The selection of songs presented here are good, but it also includes the sappy and tired/goofy sound of the dying Nashville Sound, the best examples being "Man and Wife Times" and "Angels Sunday"......if you can keep you're lunch down after hearing these, you're a better man than me! BUT, such was the sound of the day, and Jim Ed redeemed himself with more traditional songs, such as: "Pop a Top" and "Bottle, Bottle". If I had to make a sincere criticism of this album, it would be the lack of numbers including his duet with Helen Cornelius. But, the CD does run nearly an hour, so maybe it was best to leave these off. Still, all in all, this is a nearly perfect collection of songs for the Jim Ed Brown fan.
November 7, 2005Jim Ed Brown from Sparkman, Arkansas had 52 Billboard hits from 1954 to 1981. The 27 year sequence is unique: 16 were performed as `The Browns' with his sisters Bonnie and Maxine, 10 were duets with Helen Cornelius (of Hanibal, Missouri) and the balance were his own singles. "The Essential Jim Ed Brown" has none of his duets with Helen. Those are available on their "Anthology" CD. Keep scrolling down! Some of my amazon friends may be unaware. This particular 20 track CD does feature a good solid sampling of Jim Ed's solos as well as his duets with his siblings. The latter are the strongest tracks, especially "I Take the Chance (1956), "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow" (1955), and their first chart hit, "Looking back to See" (1954). There is also a wonderful 1960 rendition of "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On", which also made the charts via Hank Locklin and Johnny Tillotson. Jim Ed does quite well on his own with "Sometime Sunshine" (1974) and "Gently Comes Love" which somehow failed to make the charts. There are two classic country drinking songs "Pop A Top" (1967) and "Bottle, Bottle" (also '67). Jim Ed was a versatile guy but this reviewer prefers his more mellow "Nashville Sound" releases and not the more upbeat tracks like "Southern Lovin'. Other amazon friends have written that Jim Ed is very similar to the great Jim Reeves. This reviewer disagrees. Both are country greats from the old school. Listeners can enjoy Gentleman Jim, Jim Ed -and his talented sisters-without comparisons. The "Essential" group appears to have done it again. This series does a consistently good job of providing solid compilations of country music from the good old days long since gone. Pardon the pun but one may safely "take a chance' on the "Essential Jim Ed Brown" or most compilations from the "Essentials" series.
May 7, 2004More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(11 reviews)