Patsy Cline: Live at the Cimarron Ballroom (MCA)
Almost 35 years after her death in a plane crash, Cline is as powerful a commercial force as ever–just ask the folks who have purchased 7 million copies of her “Greatest Hits” collection. Damaged mono tapes of the country chanteuse’s first performance after a devastating car crash in June, 1961, recently were discovered in a long-ignored cardboard box and the sound has been restored to slightly-better-than-decent condition. Cline’s joy in returning to the stage comes through crystal clear, though, as does her formidable voice. She performs most of the crowd’s favorites, as well as previously unrecorded covers of “Stupid Cupid,” “When My Dreamboat Comes Home” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll”–while also bantering with the appreciative Tulsa audience. New arrivals on the Cline bandwagon might be put off by the unpolished takes of her standard material here, but more adventurous fans will delight in the raw-energy on display and happily stack the album alongside Razor & Tie’s “The Birth of a Star,” which last year showcased her performances on Arthur Godfrey’s show.
