Sings Golden Hits Of The Boys

The idea behind Golden Hits of the Boys is intriguing: Patti Page, primarily known for her traditional pop vocal music, covers a bunch of country and rock songs that are, in many cases, wholly uncharacteristic of her usual output. The result is fun and even a little zany, but not, as you might expect, the weightiest album in Page's catalog. She has the distinction of being one of very few women to record Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John" (and seems to see the humor in that even as she is singing), takes an easygoing approach to "Don't Be Cruel" and Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool," but turns in a surprisingly hard-hitting version of "The Twist." The songs were selected to serve the concept without completely alienating Page's longtime fans, so oldies like "Georgia on My Mind" and "(You've Got) Personality" crop up between the teen-oriented cuts. Golden Hits of the Boys is Page's brief joyride through the late-'50s and early-'60s pop charts with all the merriment and variety that suggests. ~ Greg Adams|