Patsy Cline Albums (11)
'Walkin' After Midnight: The Original Sessions'
Release Date 7/22/2003
Tracks 14
Label Dualtone
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Live at the Cimarron Ballroom'
Release Date 7/29/1997
Tracks 18
Label MCA
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What The Critics Say
Recorded at a Tulsa, OK, show on July 29, 1961, this newly released concert performance captures Patsy Cline at what was then a new peak in her professional career, enjoying her first number one country hit at the time with "I Fall to Pieces." The set she does on this disc includes that song, along with "Walking After Midnight," "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home," "Stupid Cupid," "Shake, Rattle & Roll," "Lovesick Blues," "When My Dreamboat Comes Home," and "A Poor Man's Roses." She's in good form, although, alas, hardly at the peak of her powers -- the singer had barely survived an automobile accident 15 days earlier, and was on crutches and still bore scars on her face. She talks rather freely about the accident at one point and seems to be in good spirits, and this is, in many ways, a typical show of hers (although many numbers she did haven't survived on the tape), but probably not the one that she would have wanted to represent her concert work to posterity. Her raspy enthusiasm on "Shake, Rattle & Roll" is effective, and everything here works, especially the eight-piece band backing her up, although they're somewhat under-recorded. Still, any newly discovered Patsy Cline performances are worth hearing, and this one especially, as the closest thing to an official live album that we'll ever see. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
'The Birth of a Star'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 19
Label Razor & Tie
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What The Critics Say
Although Cline only had one hit in the late '50s ("Walking After Midnight"), she managed to appear on Arthur Godfrey's popular network television show several times in 1957-58. This disc presents 17 performances that she delivered on these programs (including two versions of "Walking After Midnight"), accompanied by Godfrey's house band. In truth, this isn't the best context in which to hear Cline. It's far more pop than country in orientation, especially given the mainstream flavor of her accompanists, whose arrangements were far from rootsy and could be downright square, especially with the frequent interjections of brass and clarinet. Cline herself had yet to reach her vocal peak, but she does project with assurance on this material, most of which was issued in the late '50s on her official (and better) studio recordings. It's not one of the first Cline albums that should be added to your collection, but it's certainly of considerable interest to serious Cline fans, with versions of "Your Cheatin' Heart" and the spirituals "Down by the Riverside" and "The Man Upstairs" rating as the most unusual items. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A sequel to Live at the Opry, it's not called "Live at the Opry, Vol. 2" because it wasn't taken from Opry broadcasts, but from radio shows produced for the U.S. Navy and Armed Forces. The 12 performances date from 1956 to 1962, and are of special interest in that they include five songs that she never recorded in the studio for commercial release, including numbers by Roger Miller, Webb Pierce, and Sonny James. Cline's in good form throughout, the fidelity is very good, and the arrangements on the whole are considerably sparer than her studio recordings were wont to employ. The straight-ahead reading of "Strange," a top-notch 1962 Mel Tillis composition that went on the B-side of "She's Got You," is a particular highlight. A good album that will appeal to most country fans, not just Cline collectors. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In 1988 -- 25 years after Patsy Cline's untimely death at the age of 30 -- MCA released this collection of previously unreleased Grand Ole Opry broadcasts, which span 1956-1962. Even if Live at the Opry had been extremely disappointing, there would have been an audience for this 28-minute CD. Cline, after all, went down in history as one of country's all-time greats (despite having a much too short career), and her more obsessive fans would have welcomed the arrival of this release regardless of the quality. But Live at the Opry is a generally rewarding, if imperfect and brief, document of Cline's performances at Nashville's most prestigious venue. The sound quality isn't always first-rate; at times, the sound is a bit scratchy for late-'50s and early-'60s recordings. But the sound is never bad -- only imperfect -- and Cline is in fine form on inspired performances of hits like "Crazy," "I Fall to Pieces," "She's Got You," and "Walkin' After Midnight." Cline was never a country purist, but to people who appreciate a broader, more expansive view of country, she was an impressive example of someone who truly pushed the genre's boundaries. A wide variety of influences assert themselves on Live at the Opry, including rock & roll, jazz, torch singing, traditional pop, and Tin Pan Alley. Country was Cline's foundation, but that didn't prevent her from being affected (either directly or indirectly) by the contributions of Billie Holiday, Jo Stafford, and Ella Fitzgerald. Those with a casual interest in Cline's legacy would be better off with a collection of her best-known studio recordings, but for the seasoned Cline enthusiast, Live at the Opry has a lot to offer -- imperfections and all. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'That's How a Heartache Begins'
Release Date 1/1/1964
Tracks 12
Label Decca
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What The Critics Say
A certain level of consistency marks all the Patsy Cline recordings for Decca, many of which were recycled in their entirety by MCA when it bought out the older company's catalog. This is business as usual for the supreme country songstress, mixing up some Tin Pan Alley material with hardcore country and a few choices out of left field, some of which are a bit unfortunate, such as "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home." It is true that this is a singer who could rend emotion from the label under a sofa, but these albums go by quickly and the best of the bunch are the ones with the highest quotient of classic songs. The high point here has to be her version of "Lovesick Blues," in which the supposedly carved-in-stone association with Hank Williams quickly crumbles as the sassy, honky tonk-with-class arrangement sets in. There's also some good material from Harlan Howard and Hank Cochran, but in summation there are other albums in this series that Cline collectors might want to grab first. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
There is an exact blend of country and pop that went into the classic albums by this enchanting country songstress. Anyone capable of reproducing this formula would be followed everywhere by country artists and pop stars. Unfortunately, what actually happened in the era of this music's first wave of popularity was that everyone cooked up an individual recipe. And many of these productions had as much good taste as spaghetti sauce does after someone stirs in the burned bits from the bottom of the pan. Producer Owen Bradley's approach to Patsy Cline does have its moments of bad taste as well, and even the biggest fans of these albums will have moments when they will wish the male vocal chorus had gotten caught in traffic somewhere in the pretzel of Nashville's freeway system. Air and forget these complaints, because what is here is a rare type of country music that maintains its identity without marching forward with the usual troops of pedal steel and twangy guitars. The combo sound that is created has an incredibly light swing -- the drummer is often using brushes -- and there is an effortless sense of propulsion through rhythm arrangements both catchy and intelligent. What she and the musicians do with the numbers by Hank Williams is nothing short of a revelation, while the ballads such as "Lonely Street" are done with a moody flair that has never quite been matched. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of only three albums released in her lifetime, Showcase was the first set of sessions after her near-death in a car crash in 1961. The recordings teamed her up with the Jordanaires and produced the hits "Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces" as well as new, more stylized versions of "Walkin' After Midnight" and that single's original flip, "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)." This release features the second cover photo that was issued after her death, replacing the original cover art. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
