Classic Crystal
As time passes, the sophisticated country pop created by Crystal Gayle and producer Allen Reynolds gains luster. In the '70s, Reynolds's uptown arrangements and the pure beauty of Gayle's alto were closer in tone to the countrypolitan hits of Olivia Newton-John than to the rural twang of her older sister, Loretta Lynn. Her crossover success with "Don't It Make Your Brown Eyes Blue" helped lead country music to a larger middle-American audience. In retrospect the spare, tasteful quality of her songs holds up better than the music of most of pop country stylists of the era. Of her many greatest hits collections,Classic Crystalrepresents the best selection of her most memorable work.--Michael McCall