In the late '50s and early '60s, there were few bigger stars in the world of music than
Connie Francis. Able to sing many different styles convincingly, from rock & roll to country, from lush adult ballads to Italian love songs and girl group sounds,
Francis had hits galore and created a very impressive body of work. 2005's
Gold rounds up 50 of her singles recorded between 1957 and 1969 on two discs and becomes the best
Francis collection on the market for anyone who wants to get the full scope of her incredible talent without forking over the money for a box set. Included are such classic tunes as "Who's Sorry Now," "Stupid Cupid," "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You," the
Phil Spector-penned "Second Hand Love," and the tough
Ellie Greenwich/
Jeff Barry girl group rocker "Don't Ever Leave Me." Consider
Gold a crash course in
Connie Francis. Just one listen will either remind you how much you already dug her or it will make you a staunch supporter. ~ Tim Sendra