Janie Fricke

The most generous single-disc collection of Janie Fricke's late-'70s and 1980s chart hits, Anthology offers eight number one country hits and 14 others. Fricke was a background vocalist on hundreds of sessions before becoming a solo artist, and her success as a background vocalist might explain her weakness as a lead singer: her voice is very professional, precise, and generic, lacking the character that makes so many great vocalists immediately identifiable, although she does have a slight Southern accent. Her music is slick and smooth pop-oriented country that recalls both Barbara Mandrell and Juice Newton. Certainly Fricke is a talented vocalist who has sold many records, but she has not forged a unique identity with her music, and consequently the real allure of these singles is in the songwriting rather than the uniqueness of the performances. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide