1955-1960 3 Star Sessions5 [Best of]

What really makes Cline's 4-Star catalog special is the arc that it traces from her earliest straight-Country recordings through sides on which producer Owen Bradley begins to find the Nashville Sound. Cline's first single, recorded in 1955, includes plenty of fiddle, steel, tears and heartache. "A Church, A Courtroom, and Then Goodbye," taped perhaps not coincidentally around the time of her divorce from Gerald Cline, shows her voice in astoundingly full bloom. At a time when female stars were a scarce commodity on the Country scene, Cline had honed her performances in endless radio and honky-tonk gigs.

By 1956 Bradley was already making records without the overt twang. "Walkin' After Midnight," has a smoky late-night resonance that allowed it to cross over to #12 on the pop chart. 1957's "Three Cigarettes and an Ashtray" pushes even further in this direction, courtesy of Cline's sophisticated, torchy lead and atmospheric background vocals courtesy of the Anita Kerr singers.

Though it's often said that Cline's 4-Star recordings were limited by the song catalog from which she was allowed to choose, this collection shows just how much good material she was still able to find. In their entirety the 4-Star titles don't compare to what she subsequently recorded for MCA, but there are plenty of excellent songs here. It's particularly interesting to hear the variations of her approach and the sounds with which she's surrounded. From weepy, steel-and-fiddle ballads to spirituals to bluesy late-night torch songs, Cline's voice stamps each with an amazing authority.

While these recordings may not be the place to begin one's appreciation of Patsy Cline, they do provide an essential tour of her recording roots. Anyone ready to listen more deeply than the well-known hits should start here. Those who want an even larger helping should find the 48-track, two volume "Four Star Recordings" set from the Country Stars label, the 50-track anthology "Crazy Dreams" on Sundown, or the out-of-print three-disc "Her First Recordings" series on Rhino. For all but the completist, however, these expertly picked 25 tracks should suffice.