Collin Raye's albums should come with a warning... "Caution.. the
enclosed material is highly addictive!" To take it one step further, I could say the
same about the man himself. Having the opportunity to review his music is more than an
honor for me... it's truly personal.
I was raised on a mixture of country and rock 'n' roll music... loving both... but as I
grew up, more of my friends listened to rock and I naturally went with the flow. During
the late 80s and early 90s, the rock music played on the radio became so "jaded"
that I spent my time driving to and from work with one hand on the wheel and the other on
the radio searching for at least one good song. Then one day, I heard a voice, ringing as
clear as crystal, it crept into my soul. It was Collin Raye singing, "In This
Life". Little did I know then how that voice would literally change the course of my
life.
It may sound overly
dramatic to claim that one artist can change the path of a person's life but in my case,
that is exactly what happened. I locked that radio station on my car stereo... I never had
to use the seek button again as I'd found the music that was not only entertaining but
seemed to speak to me and make sense of my life. Remember the "walkman"
(pre-iPod days)? Well, I bought one and the first country tape I'd bought in years was
Collin Raye's, "In This Life". While at work I hooked the walkman to my jeans
and listened to that tape over and over. When it was time to go home, the tape went into
my car stereo and with both hands on the wheel, I drove home with a sense of peace. The
next time I went shopping, I bought Collin's first album, "All I Can Be" along
with Willie Nelson and a few other choice favorites. A new trend was setting it's course
without my knowing it.. I just knew I had something to help me get through the days... and
the nights.
I eventually created MKOC.com in 1996 to pay tribute to the artists that actually made
coping with the particulars in my life easier to bear and Collin Raye was among the first
to be posted among my favorite artists on MKOC. This may all sound quite trivial to some,
but it was a milestone in my life. As you can see from the site itself, MKOC has been a
constant in my life as have the artists... from the stars to the independents who came to
know me through my work and have remained friends of mine all these many years. It was
through these friendships that the artists joined hands and helped to fund another passion
that actually came to be through the existence of MKOC... the Child Alert Foundation.
There have been countless benefits with the artists, stars and indies alike who gave
freely of their talent and merchandise to raise funds for CAF.
So you see, I am not exaggerating when I say that Collin Raye literally changed my life.
It was Collin's voice that brought me back to my roots... and it was the songs he sang
that gave me hope and a sense of knowing there's more "In This Life" than our
own needs and that the giving of ourselves to others can be so much more fulfilling than
the instant gratification of the "here and now". That is how Collin has
conducted his life and set an example for so many others, through his music and by being
the man he is.
While my job here is to introduce Collin's latest achievement, not rattle on about my
life, I found myself compelled to relate what his music has meant to me personally...
because music is nothing if not personal... and as I listened to this CD, all the memories
of my initial introduction to Collin Raye's music came flowing over me like it was only
yesterday.
Now, about Collin's new CD, "Selected Hits". This (once again) demonstrates not
only how powerful Collin is as a performer, it is a testament to how Collin... the man...
conducts his life in his giving to others. Collin created his own record label so he could
make the music he wants.. his way... the way his fans came to love him in the first place,
which to me, speaks highly of his character and conviction of his art. With this being his
first project on his new label, he came up with a new concept to make the music more
affordable to the fans.
"Selected Hits"
contains 6 songs; two new ones and four of his most requested hits. There's also a 7th
track on the album where Collin explains to listeners exactly why he created the new label
and his reasons behind his choice of songs.
The first two tracks are new songs and both conscience raising themes for which Collin has
always gravitated to. The first, "A Soldier's Prayer" speaks to the soldier
about his/her endeavors and the power of prayer. "Deep in the heart of war, God hears
a soldier's prayer". On the CD, you'll also learn how the net proceeds from this song
are going to the "Wounded Warrior" project to assist those men and women in
service who have been injured in the war on terrorism. Collin clearly states that it is
not about politics or whether or not the war is right or wrong... it's for the wounded,
period. Again, the song not only raises social awareness but is being used to financially
aide those who have come in harms way fighting for their country.
The second song, "Quitters" raises awareness to the handicapped.. telling the
story of how a young boy in a wheelchair refuses to believe he'll remain in it throughout
his life as he fights his daily fight to overcome his boundaries, physical as well as
social. I was so happy to see that one of the co-writers of this song is George Canyon...
a young man who I first reviewed in 1996 as an independent artist struggling to make his
way in this crazy business and years later, not only became a contestant on
"Nashville Star", he came in second and was offered a contract with Capitol
Records. I saw a poetic justice mixed with the message of "Quitters when I saw that
George was one of the writers... he never quit and has not only survived, but succeeded...
as has Collin Raye. It's a message of hope, faith and courage... and a lesson to those of
us more fortunate who tend to "look the other way". It takes a man like Collin
to see the validity in such a song and and put it on his first independent venture.
Independent yes, but not in the least short of the highest of professionalism. These two
tracks were produced by Alabama's Teddy Gentry and Michael Curtis
The four past hits Collin chose to put on this CD are among the top
requested, including his first big hit, written by the great Skip Ewing, "Love,
Me". These songs were all recorded live with the Salt Lake Symphony Orchestra. Now
I'm not particularly a fan of the live concert type albums because of the noise... there's
no problem of that here. The accoustics are fabulous and it's actually fun to hear the
audience rave as he starts to sing, and in some parts, he shares the "stage"
with the audience as he flips the mic to them and they sing the required line. I've seen
Collin live on stage and it's something you never forget.. the energy he resonates on an
upbeat tune is electric and the passion with which he sings a ballad will leave you
feeling as though he's singing it to you alone. Collin is a crowd-pleaser, on and off the
stage.
I mentioned briefly Collin's concept on saving the fans money with this type of CD... I
mean, come on... it only has 6 songs! That's right, it only has 6 songs but it costs LESS
than $6 if you buy it at Wal-Mart! Think about it... the least you pay for downloading
songs on the net is 99 cents and then you have to burn them to a CD yourself... you don't
have all the artwork, etc. How can you pass up a deal like this?? Honestly, if I had to go
out and buy the CD myself, I would gladly spend the few dollars it costs... and then to
know that part of the proceeds go to wounded soldiers makes it that much more worthy. You
can give and get all for one low price. Does it get any sweeter?
Bottom line... If you're a Collin Raye fan, this is a must-have for your collection. If
you are just now discovering Collin's vast talents, this package is the perfect
introduction to his music... and I guarantee, it won't be the last Collin Raye CD you'll
buy. "Select Hits" gets a thumbs up from me... and I'm all thumbs! That's my
story and I'm stickin' to it!
The four past hits Collin chose to put on this CD are among the top
requested, including his first big hit, written by the great Skip Ewing, "Love,
Me". These songs were all recorded live with the Salt Lake Symphony Orchestra. Now
I'm not particularly a fan of the live concert type albums because of the noise... there's
no problem of that here. The accoustics are fabulous and it's actually fun to hear the
audience rave as he starts to sing, and in some parts, he shares the "stage"
with the audience as he flips the mic to them and they sing the required line. I've seen
Collin live on stage and it's something you never forget.. the energy he resonates on an
upbeat tune is electric and the passion with which he sings a ballad will leave you
feeling as though he's singing it to you alone. Collin is a crowd-pleaser, on and off the
stage.
