Olivia Newton-John - 48 Original Tracks 1971-1975 (1994)

48 Original Tracks is a greatest hits album by Olivia Newton-John that was released in 1994, it is the most extensive compilation of her early material launched for the singer. This collection includes three rarities - "Would You Follow Me", "Maybe Then I'll Think Of You" and "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye", which didn't appear on any of Olivia's studio album. The remaining tracks are from her first five original Australian albums - every song from her debut, "If Not For You", nearly every song from her next two, "Olivia" and "Let Me Be There", and some tracks from "Long Live Love" and "Have You Never Been Mellow". All those albums were released in Britain, but America discovered her later so releases there were different.
Among the best known songs here are "If Not For You" (a Bob Dylan composition that gave Olivia her first hit), Banks of the Ohio, "What Is Life", "Take Me Home Country Roads" (a hit for John Denver in America but it was Olivia who had the UK hit), "I Honestly Love You", "Let Me Be There", "Please Mr. Please", "If You Love Me Let Me Know" and "Have You Never Been Mellow". All those songs were hits either in Britain or America.
Olivia could also write songs and is represented here by two songs, "Changes" and "Rosewater", but there are also many other great original songs.
You also get Olivia's excellent covers of "Me And Bobby McGee", "Help Me Make It Through The Night" (both Kris Kristofferson), "If You Could Read My Mind" (Gordon Lightfoot), "No Regrets" (which later became a British hit for the Walker Brothers), "If" (Bread), "Winterwood" (Don McLean), "Everything I Own" (Bread), "Angel Of The Morning" (which has been a hit for several singers), "Mary Skeffington" (Gerry Rafferty), "Amoreuse" (Kiki Dee), "If We Try" (Don McLean), "Air That I Breathe" (Hollies) and "Loving Arms" (Elvis Presley).
Committed fans may wish to consider that all the original albums have been re-mastered in Australia with even better sound quality, but there's nothing wrong with the sound quality here, and there are those three tracks that aren't available elsewhere.
This is an outstanding compilation of Olivia's early years!


Tracks:

CD 1
01. Love Song (3:47)
02. Banks Of The Ohio (3:18)
03. Me And Bobby McGee (3:48)
04. If Not For You (2:54)
05. Help Me Make It Through The Night (2:22)
06. If You Could Read My Mind (3:42)
07. In A Station (3:11)
08. Where Are You Going To My Love (3:24)
09. Lullaby (3:02)
10. No Regrets (3:29)
11. If I Gotta Leave (2:45)
12. Would You Follow Me (2:40)
13. If (2:29)
14. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye (4:04)
15. Winterwood (2:51)
16. What Is Life (3:23)
17. Changes (2:32)
18. Everything I Own (3:03)
19. I'm A Small And Lonely Light (2:47)
20. Just A Little Too Much (2:09)
21. Living In Harmony (2:51)
22. Why Don't You Write Me (2:41)
23. Angel Of The Morning (3:55)
24. Mary Skeffington (2:32)
25. If We Only Have Love (3:21)

CD 2
01. My Old Man's Got A Gun (2:51)
02. Maybe Then I'll Think Of You (2:55)
03. Amoureuse (3:39)
04. Take Me Home Country Roads (3:19)
05. I Love You, I Honestly Love You (3:39)
06. Music Makes My Day (3:12)
07. Heartbreaker (2:32)
08. Leaving (3:58)
09. You Ain't Got The Right (3:31)
10. Feeling Best (3:28)
11. Rosewater (3:57)
12. Being On The Losing End (3:43)
13. If We Try (3:25)
14. Let Me Be There (3:02)
15. Country Girl (3:52)
16. Loving You Ain't Easy (2:49)
17. Have Love Will Travel (2:46)
18. Hands Across The Sea (2:56)
19. Please Mr. Please (3:25)
20. The Air That I Breathe (3:52)
21. Loving Arms (2:56)
22. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) (3:15)
23. Have You Never Been Mellow (3:30)