In 1965,
Conway Twitty made a decision that would guarantee his place in music history: he gave up trying to be a pop star and switched to country. That move, thanks to being signed to Decca by producer Owen Bradley, combined with other shrewd business and artistic decisions, marked a space for his career longevity, but it also served to shape Nashville's future. The two albums found on Cherry Red's Poker Records compilation mark the first entry in a series documenting the singer's Decca years, and
Twitty's first brazen attempts to switch markets. It's the first time these sides have been available on CD. Both
Conway Twitty Sings and Look into My Teardrops were released in 1966 and each scored bottom-of-the-chart singles: "Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart" on the former, and the title track on the latter. That said, there are other excellent cuts on this set, such as his readings of "Green Green Grass of Home," "Truck Drivin' Man," "Honky Tonk Man," "There Stands the Glass," "Fraulein," and "The Wild Side of Life." Interestingly, despite how consistently fine the performances are throughout both recordings, country critics -- and the public at large -- were skeptical of
Twitty's commitment to country (these were very fickle times); neither album fared particularly well in the marketplace. For hardcore country music fans as well as
Twitty's, however, this series is a real blessing. ~ Thom Jurek