Very Best of: Melanie: Amazon.ca: Music

Frequently Bought Together

1. Ruby Tuesday
2. Brand New Key
3. Nickel Song
4. "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma"
5. Beautiful People
6. Any Guy
7. Close To It All
8. Mr. Tambourine Man
9. Baby Day
10. I Don't Eat Animals
11. Lay Lady Lay
12. Pebbles In The Sand
13. Save The Night
14. Gardens In The City
15. Christopher Robin
16. Good Book
17. Carolina On My Mind
18. Somebody Loves Me
19. Leftover Wine
20. Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)
See all 21 tracks on this disc

Product Description

Album Description

1998 compilation on the Camden label featuring 21 of the best tracks ever by this late '60s/ early '70s singer/ songwriter, including all five of her U.S. chart hits for the Buddah label: the #1 smash 'Brand New Key', the top 10 'Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)', 'Peace Will Come (According To My Plan)', 'The Nickel Song' and Melanie's unique rendition of the Rolling Stones' 'Ruby Tuesday'.

Album Details

21 Great Hits.

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5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Melodic Pop & Moving Folk, Mar 30 2003

By

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME)

This review is from: Very Best of (Audio CD)

Although she emerged from the folk/singer-songwriter boom of the Woodstock generation, Melanie's music has always had more of a pop edge to it. This excellent collection includes most of her hits - with the exception of Bitter Bad - and the cream of her popular album tracks. It kicks off with the novelty song (and her biggest hit) Brand New Key, followed by her soulful and moving version of Ruby Tuesday which alone is worth the price of the album. Her interpretation of Mr Tambourine Man is unique and delectable too; she never fails to elegantly make the songs of her others her own (Lay Lady Lay and Carolina On My Mind). Her own compositions are catchy and intelligent, like Nickel Song or poetic and perceptive, like Beautiful People. The only serious omission in my opinion is the song Ring The Living Bell Shine The Living Light, but otherwise this album is comprehensive enough. Somehow Melanie represents the essence of the 60s folkie, although this album demonstrates her pop prowess too.

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Amazon.com: 4.8 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Melodic Pop & Moving Folk, Mar 29 2003

By Pieter "Toypom" - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Very Best of (Audio CD)

Although she emerged from the folk/singer-songwriter boom of the Woodstock generation, Melanie's music has always had more of a pop edge to it. This excellent collection includes most of her hits - with the exception of Bitter Bad - and the cream of her popular album tracks. It kicks off with the novelty song (and her biggest hit) Brand New Key, followed by her soulful and moving version of Ruby Tuesday which alone is worth the price of the album. Her interpretation of Mr Tambourine Man is unique and delectable too; she never fails to elegantly make the songs of her others her own (Lay Lady Lay and Carolina On My Mind). Her own compositions are catchy and intelligent, like Nickel Song or poetic and perceptive, like Beautiful People. The only serious omission in my opinion is the song Ring The Living Bell Shine The Living Light, but otherwise this album is comprehensive enough. Somehow Melanie represents the essence of the 60s folkie, although this album demonstrates her pop prowess too.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Folk-pop singer-songwriter of the early seventies, Mar 3 2005

By Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Very Best of (Audio CD)

Born Melanie Sagfa but only using her first name for her music, Melanie burst on the music scene in 1969. In 1970, she had top ten hits in Britain and America with different songs - Ruby Tuesday, a Rolling Stones cover, in Britain, Lay down (Candles in the rain) in America.

Melanie's biggest hit, Brand new key, was a top five UK hit and a number one American hit. Sometimes dismissed as a novelty song, it became even more of a novelty song when the Wurzels wrote their own lyrics to it and released it (with Melanie's permission) as Combine harvester (Brand new key) - it topped the UK charts in 1976. Of course, you have to look elsewhere if you want Combine harvester - it's not here.

The New Seekers also liked to record Melanie's songs. Rival versions of What have they done to my song Ma both became minor UK hits, with Melanie doing slightly better than the New Seekers, who also covered Nickel song and Beautiful people.

While Melanie wrote plenty of original material, she also liked to record a few covers. Apart from Ruby Tuesday, this collection includes Melanie's versions of Lay lady lay and Mr Tambourine man, both written by Bob Dylan although the latter was popularised by the Byrds.

Melanie has a very distinctive voice that does not appeal to everybody although I love it. If you enjoy the folk-pop singer-songwriters of the early seventies, you will enjoy Melanie's music providing you like her voice. There have been plenty of Melanie compilations released down the years but this one is as good as any.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent compilation of original recordings, with great cover art., Mar 18 2007

By Charles - Music Lover - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Very Best of (Audio CD)

These performances are Melanie's classic recordings, recorded 1968 - 1971. Priceless performances, at a great price.

Tracks 1, 4, 17, 20 from the Buddah album "Candles In the Rain" (1970). (Track 4, "Lay Down (Candles In the Rain)," is in its extended version on this CD, not the shortened single version on the original album. The extended version was originally released on the 1972 Buddah compilation "The Four Sides of Melanie.")

Track 2 from the Neighborhood album "Gather Me" (released on Buddah Records outside of the United States; 1971).

Tracks 3 & 16 from the Buddah album "The Good Book" (1970 or '71, can't remember!!).

Tracks 5 & 6 from the Buddah album "Melanie" (this album was just titled "Melanie" in the United States, but it was titled "Affectionately Melanie" in England and other countries; 1969).

Tracks 7, 8, 9, & 15 from the Buddah album "Born To Be" (1968).

Tracks 10, 19, & 20 from the Buddah album "Leftover Wine" (1970).

Tracks 11, 14, & 18 from the Buddah album "Garden In the City" (1971).

Tracks 12 & 13 from the original soundtrack recording "All the Right Noises," released on Buddah Records outside of the United States in 1970. These tracks were eventually released in the United States on the Buddah compilation album "Please Love Me" (1973).

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 16 reviews 4.8 out of 5 stars

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Very Best of [Original recording remastered, Import, Best of]

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