Sweet dreams with Patsy

It's funny; we always maintain in the strongest terms that we are no fan of country music, yet, if ever given the chance to go back in time to see and hear (in person) any performer, there really is only one choice--country crooner Patsy Cline. No one's even a close second.

Since it is highly unlikely that we'll come across a magic lamp and be granted our wish--which is unfortunate since we only have this one, not the usual three--we'll have to be satisfied with the next best thing, the new DVD from MPI Home Video, "Patsy Cline: Sweet Dreams Still, The Anthology."

Cline's raw power and subtle interpretations are what catapulted her to the top of the charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s before a plane crash ended her life in 1963 at age 30. Yes, another one of those tragic what-could-have-been stories, only the body of work she left behind is mind-blowing. Video clips culled from TV shows such as "Stars of the Grand Ole Opry," "rex Ritter's Ranch Party;' and "Community Jamboree" recount Cline's career from her "red hot momma" phase to the "Nashville Sound." Although known for upbeat tunes such as "Come On In" and "San Antonio Rose," Cline could paralyze listeners with her ballads like "Crazy," "She's Got You," and "I Fall to Pieces."

Ironically, Cline thought "Pieces" was not good enough since it had been rejected by singers Brenda Lee and Roy Drusky. However, it became the number-one song of 1962. Interestingly, Cline also was not a big fan of another one of her signature songs, "Walkin' After Midnight." In 1957, however, she appeared on what was then TV's most popular program, "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts," and won the contest that night by singing "Midnight" It became her first top 10 record. Other songs she performs on the DVD include "I've Loved and Lost Again," "So Wrong," "Lovesick Blues," "Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray," "How Can I Face Tomorrow," and "A Church, a Courtroom and Then Goodbye"

"Patsy Cline: Sweet Dreams Still, The Anthology" ($19.98) can be purchased at video retailers, online (www.mpihomevideo.com), or by phone (800-323-0442).

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