The original grand dame of country music (with all apologies to Dolly Parton), Tammy Wynette dominated
genre charts in the late 1960s through the mid-’70s, racking up a
mind-boggling 17 #1 singles. Along with June Carter Cash, Loretta Lynn
and the aforementioned Parton, Wynette is probably one of only a
handful of classic country artists that even non-traditional fans of
her era knew and could enjoy, and thus helped pave the way for the
crossover, mega-commercial success of artists like Garth Brooks, Shania
Twain and The Dixie Chicks.
Recorded live at the Church St. Station Theatre in Florida — a venue where Johnny Cash once debuted “Ring of Fire” — this hour-long concert disc’s complete track listing is as follows: “Welcome to My World,” “Another Chance,” “Womanhood,” “Fairy Tales,” “When the Grass Grows Over Me,” “Til I Can Make It On My Own,” “Your Good Girls Go Bad,” “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Stand By Your Man,” “Crying in the Rain” and a more spiritual-tinged medley of “Amazing Grace,” “I’ll Fly Away” and “I Saw the Light.” It’s a strong collection, to be sure, but notable as much for some of its exclusions as the songs that make the cut. I personally would have liked to have seen (and heard) “The Ways to Love a Man,” “Singing My Song” and the underrated “My Elusive Dreams” (her first chart-topper, from 1967) swapped in, probably for “Fairy Tales” and “Womanhood.”
These nitpicking details aside, this release is a fairly superb introduction to the bittersweet and reflective tones and tunes of Wynette, who passed away too soon in 1998, after years of health complications. The late-in-show medley is fantastic, and Wynette doesn’t shortchange crowd favorite “Stand By Your Man” — she still locates a genuine depth of feeling in the song that’s heartening and remarkable. Tammy Wynette: Greatest Hits Live comes with a 5.1 surround sound audio mix, and is presented on a region-free disc suitable for worldwide play. There are no DVD bonus features. B+ (Concert) C (Disc)