The Essential Ann-Margret

Ann-Margret had only three Top 100 hits, all of which are included on this too-brief collection. RCA's earlier Ann-Margret anthology, Let Me Entertain You, was lengthier but focused on her sexy ballads, giving no indication of the wide variety of material she recorded in the '60s. The Very Best of Ann-Margret is more inclusive, offering glimpses of her pop/rock side on "Gimmie Love" and "My Last Date (With You)," the latter of which is a vocal version of Floyd Cramer's "Last Date" hit. "You're the Boss" is one of Ann-Margret's two duets with Elvis Presley from the film Viva Las Vegas, and "You Sure Know How to Hurt Someone" is a previously unreleased (in the U.S.) track that, except for the bridge, is astonishingly contemporary sounding. Ann-Margret's music is sadly underappreciated, and this collection, while unlikely to change that fact, at least gives a more balanced view of her days as a pop starlet and resurrects a number of hard to find recordings at a mid-line price.