This collection represents two-dozen highlights from
Lynn Anderson (vocals), one of the most endearing and popular country singer/songwriters of the late '60s and '70s. Although she displayed undeniable musical talents, she could have just as easily made her mark as a professional equestrian. While arguably best-known for her cover of
Joe South's crossover pop smash "Rose Garden" in 1970,
Anderson actually began recording and subsequently scoring hits in the mid-'60s. Greatest Hits (2004) commences with a pair of 1967 Top Five tracks, "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)" and "Promises, Promises" -- both of which were penned by her mother
Liz Anderson. The senior
Ms. Anderson likewise wrote two of
Lynn's hits the following year, "Big Girls Don't Cry" (not to be confused with the
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons song of the same name) and "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere." The artist also found substantial success from her newlywed husband and future Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member Glenn Sutton, whose "Stay There 'Til I Get There," "Sing About Love," and "What a Man My Man Is" all landed in the Top Ten. Similarly, "Rose Garden" was not the only
Joe South tune that
Anderson took to the upper echelons of the Country Singles register, as "How Can I Unlove You" reached number one and she placed "Fool Me" at the number four spot. Chronologically, Greatest Hits concludes with the
Karla Bonoff cover "Isn't It Always Love" and "Sea of Heartbreak" -- the latter co-written by
Hal David -- from her Outlaw Is Just a State of Mind (1979) long-player. The copious number of selections and above average audio quality are additional factors in creating what is by all accounts a thorough and recommended retrospective. ~ Lindsay Planer