LeAnn Rimes - Greatest Hits

LeAnn Rimes burst upon the country music scene in 1996 at the tender age of 13. "Blue" was written by a legendary Texas DJ named Bill Mack. Written for Patsy Cline, the song showcased LeAnn as a big voiced young lady who somehow sounded eerily similar to Patsy. What followed the single was a string of hits that has continued all the way through to LeAnn's hit "We Can" from the soundtrack to the film Legally Blonde 2: Red White And Blonde.

Some of the songs that followed "Blue" were decidedly different than that one traditional country tune. Her second single, "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)" was also LeAnn's only country No. 1 hit single. The next few singles "The Light In Your Eyes" and "Unchained Melody" were also hits, and showcased the dynamic voice of LeAnn. About this same time, the producers for the film Con Air asked LeAnn to record a Diane Warren song called "How Do I Live." This partnership between songwriter and vocalist would go on to produce many more hits, but it was their first pairing that set records. Staying on the charts for a record number of weeks, it's interesting to note that "How Do I Live" was LeAnn's first foray into pop music. After tasting mainstream pop music, LeAnn's career would spiral towards the slicker sounds associated with it. Interestingly, LeAnn never really "left" country behind; it's just that she never really tried to be just a country artist. To that note, most of her singles charted on the country charts with "Commitment" "I Need You" "Nothing New Under The Moon" and "Big Deal" all becoming Top 10 hits.

When 2000 rolled around, LeAnn recorded some pop songs written by Diane Warren for the Coyote Ugly soundtrack. Of the songs on the album, "Can't Fight The Moonlight" became the biggest hit off of the album propelling it to multi-platinum status. Following that success, LeAnn released her first full-fledged pop album as a 20 year old, with 2002's Twisted Angel. The big single from that coldly received album was "Life Goes On."

As for Greatest Hits, LeAnn joined forces with Dann Huff, one of Nashville's "hottest" producers. "We Can" finds LeAnn sounding better than she ever has, and the song fit so well in the movie Legally Blonde 2 that it became the end credits song. "Last Thing On My Mind" is a touching duet with Irish pop star Ronan Keating (who wrote Brooks And Dunn's "The Long Goodbye"). Written by Keating, the song is about a couple who do everything possible to ruin a relationship that they're in. This sounds like an AC/Pop hit.

The last new song on the album, save for a nice version of the Christmas classic "O Holy Night," is the country single from the album, "This Love." Written by LeAnn with Marc Beeson and Jim Collins, "This Love" sounds like it could be a big hit. It's a Faith Hill meets Martina McBride type of ballad that has softly sung verses and soaring choruses all the while retaining enough steel guitar and acoustical instruments to be distinctly a modern country song.

The legendary Patsy Cline song "Crazy" (written by Willie Nelson) is the last "old" track to be included on Greatest Hits, despite not being a "hit." From LeAnn's self-titled country standards album, the song is probably intended to be a book-end of sorts to "Blue," and to prove that LeAnn is, indeed, the "next Patsy Cline." Maybe she's not the next Patsy, but LeAnn is a gifted vocalist ready to start the second phase of her career at the tender age of 21. LeAnn's Greatest Hits is a nice one disc collection of the best moments of LeAnn's still young career.

Song List:

1. Blue
2. How Do I Live
3. Can't Fight The Moonlight (Graham Stack Radio Edit)
4. One Way Ticket (Because I Can)
5. Commitment
6. I Need You
7. Written In The Stars (Duet With Elton John)
8. Unchained Melody
9. The Light In Your Eyes
10. On The Side Of Angels
11. You Light Up My Life
12. Nothin' New Under The Moon
13. Big Deal
14. Life Goes On
15. We Can
16. Last Thing On My Mind (Duet With Ronan Keating)
17. This Love
18. Crazy
19. O Holy Night