Patsy Cline - Songwriters' Tribute (1986)

Unlike other artists who died before their time, Patsy Cline wasn't neglected by her record label or her fellow musicians in the years following her death. Songwriters' Tribute was beautifully compiled by Diana Haig as a concept album of sorts, assembling a dozen of Cline's best recordings by songwriters who had known her and who were still around in 1986 to pay tribute to her artistry. The fact that these happen to include classics such as "Crazy" and "You're Stronger Than Me" made it a sort of natural acquisition at the time, and the material is so consistently great that it's still got that appeal. Justin Tubb's "Imagine That" is worth the price of admission by itself, and her renditions of Carl Perkins' "So Wrong" and Hank Cochran's "When You Need a Laugh" aren't far behind. Cochran is also represented twice over, though the lion's share of this collection goes to the work of Harlan Howard, and Willie Nelson and Freddie Hart all get places of honor as well. All of them contributed their reminiscences about Cline, the songs, and the particular recordings, which are very touching and informative. It's also something of a sign as to how seriously MCA took this album. This is the kind of collection that can turn casual fans into serious devotees, and is also a must-own for the latter.