I'll Be

by

Reba McEntire

Edit

Reba's Starting over collection of cover version, released in the mid-nineties, made little impact in the UK. It was repackaged with one track removed and six others added to form this compilation.

The nine tracks from Starting over included here are By the time I get to Phoenix (Glen Campbell), On my own (Patti Labelle) featuring Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood and Linda Davis, You're no good (a song that originally became a minor American hit for Betty Everett, but later became a huge British hit for the Swinging blue jeans and a seventies chart-topper in America for Linda Ronstadt), Starting over again (Dolly Parton), Please come to Boston (Dave Loggins), Ring on her finger time on her hands (Lee Greenwood), I won't mention it again (Ray Price), Five hundred miles away from home (Bobby Bare) and Talking in your sleep (Crystal Gayle).

Two tracks from her more recent So good together - We're so good together and I'll be - plus one from one of her eighties albums - New fool at an old game - are also included.

Long-standing Reba fans may already have all the above tracks, but there are three other tracks, including two original songs, What if and What do you say, plus a stunning cover of If I fell, the first Beatles song that Reba has ever covered.

Given that most of the songs are covers, it might have been ever better to compile this album entirely from covers - I would have included Reba's versions of Cathy's clown (Everly brothers), Respect (Aretha Franklin) and You keep me hanging on (Supremes) - the only track missing from Starting over - but this is still a fine collection.

Reba fans who haven't got round to buying Starting over should consider buying this instead. It is difficult to justify buying both. I didn't buy Starting over when it first came out, so it was easy to choose this.