Patsy Cline - Always (1980/2021)

Everyone knows by now that nothing is sacred, so the contents of ALWAYS should come as no surprise in a world where Kenny G has duetted with Satchmo and Clint Eastwood has arranged for Herbie Hancock and friends to recut the rhythm tracks from Bird's classic bebop recordings. The justification here is that Owen Bradley, Cline's original producer, is responsible for this particular repaving of memory lane. In 1980, Bradley took ten of Cline's master tapes and wiped everything but the original lead vocals, brought in a cast of session folks, backup singers, and string players and remade vintage tunes like "I Fall To Pieces" and "Faded Love."

The results, observe liner note authors Jay Orr and Don Roy, "sounded busier, even overwrought," but "the public judged the new tracks good, however...buying enough records to send the first single...to #18." Of course, even in 1960, Cline's voice was the point of her recordings, and she still comes through loud and clear, with all her phrasing and emotional content intact. So if you want to hear what she would have sounded like if she'd stepped into a studio 20 years later than she did, give ALWAYS a spin.