Lee Ann Womack

"Greatest Hits"

This is something I've never done and probably will never do again, review a greatest hits album. However, I have followed Lee Ann throughout her career and I think that this is a timely CD for her. It is a masterpiece of great songs by one of country music's best female singers. I really like the way it is set up and the booklet that comes with it. It starts at the beginning of her career in 97 and moves to the present, including a couple of new songs. Lee Ann did two very traditional sounding CDs for Decca before she changed to MCA for her last two studio albums. Her first CD with MCA was the great "I Hope You Dance" which the single of the same name really put her on the map being a career song. There are four songs from that CD on this album, more than any other.

  After "I Hope You Dance", Lee Ann tried to do a crossover album called "Something Worth Leaving Behind" which was dreadful, got a lot of bad press and just didn't sell. The title track seemed like she was trying to create a " I Hope You Dance " type song, but it was very over produced and just an overdramatic mediocre creation. The only track from this CD on the greatest hits album is the title track.

  Other than that track, every song is great. From her first CD "Lee Ann Womack"- "Never Again, Again" ,"You've Got To Talk To Me" and " The Fool". From "Some Things I Know" (2nd CD) , "A Little Past Little Rock", (Now You See Me) Now You Don't, and "I'll Think Of A Reason Later". From "I Hope You Dance", the title track, "Ashes By Now", "Why They Call It Falling" and " Does My Ring Burn Your finger". Every track a winner.

  Included is the great duet with Willie Nelson "Mendocino County Line" , just an awesome song.
Then Lee Ann leaves you with some hope, doing two new numbers which are both very good and brings her back to a much more country sound. The first song is a great upbeat country tune on the charts now called "The Wrong Girl". Great song with some great guitar by Brent Mason. She finishes the CD with an acoustic country song called "Time For Me To Go"  both songs produced by Byron Gallimore as opposed  to Mark Wright who she worked with for so long.

  In closing, I just highly recommend this CD which was re-mastered by Hank Williams of MasterMix so everything sounds a bit better.

 Visit Lee Ann at: www.leeannwomack.com