20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kitty Wells is a decent primer of her best years with Decca, collecting such definitive singles as “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” “Makin’ Believe,” “Heartbreak U.S.A.,” “Mommy for a Day,” and “Release Me.” Tracks like “Will Your Lawyer Talk to God” reflect the strong, proto-feminist feeling of her work, which not only influenced further generations of female country artists but also echoed the sentiments of many women in the ’50s and ’60s. At only a dozen tracks long, 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kitty Wells is no match for the Bear Family box or even more extensive single-disc collections like God’s Honky Tonk Angel, but it’s a concise collection of songs from country music’s first queen. – Heather Phares
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