Most listeners know Johnny Paycheck from "Take This Job and Shove It" -- a song so popular and so iconic that it overshadows everything else Paycheck did, not just for pop fans but for country listeners. Couple that with a reputation for being a roughneck hellion and you have somebody who is known as a persona, not as a musician. And that's a real shame, as Epic/Legacy's The Soul & the Edge: The Best of Johnny Paycheck proves. As the first comprehensive CD collection of Paycheck's hit-making peak years of the '70s and '80s -- his early years are documented on the stellar The Real Mr. Heartache collection.

This collection is a revelation, offering definitive proof that he was one of the very greatest hardcore country singers. He could do it all: blue-collar rage ("Take This Job and Shove It," "Me and the IRS"), barroom weepers ("Slide Off of Your Satin Sheets," "I Did the Right Thing") and barroom ravers ("Fifteen Beers"), lush country-pop (the Billy Sherrill-produced "She's All I Got") and gritty country-soul (a George Jones duet on "You Better Move On"), tough-guy laments ("I'm the Only Hell (My Mama Ever Raised)") and tough-guy bravado ("Ragged Old Truck," "The Outlaw's Prayer"). Plus, there's a wicked, bizarre sense of humor, evidenced clearly on the neo-talking blues "Colorado Cool-Aid," illustrating that he didn't tame his wildness even at his popular peak. Then there's that voice -- a resonant baritone with impeccable phrasing that some claim was an inspiration for George Jones' style (and listening to this and Mr. Heartache makes those claims quite credible). It all adds up to a collection that not only captures Paycheck at his peak, but also lays claim as one of the great country albums of its era, if not all time. It's the kind of collection an artist the stature of Johnny Paycheck deserves. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Every track on THE SOUL & THE EDGE offers a glimpse at a different aspect of Paycheck's gifts, and for that we should all be grateful.


  Greatest Hits Collection CD
  by Brooks & Dunn
Our Price: $9.99 CD / $9.99 MP3
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THE GREATEST HITS COLLECTION contains 3 new songs.
Greatest Hits is a thorough overview of one of the most popular country acts of the '90s, containing 11 of Brooks & Dunn's biggest hits -- including "Brand New Man," "My Next Broken Heart," "Boot Scootin' Boogie," and "She Used to Be Mine" -- plus three new songs that are nearly as good as their older hits. It's an excellent summation of the first part of their career, and an ideal place to become acquainted with the duo. ~ Thom Owens

A greatest hits collection is almost a redundancy for this chart-topping contemporary country duo, since nearly ever ything they touch turns to gold (if not platinum). Nevertheless, this compilation condenses the band's catalog, including three brand new tracks, into 19 sparkling gems of country-pop, bound to please both longtime fans and curious first-timers. They're all here, from the band's stellar cover of the pop hit "My Maria" to beer-swiggin' jukebox faves like "Boot Scootin' Boogie" and "Honky Tonk Truth."

"Second only to Simon & Garfunkel as the biggest-selling duo of all time, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn add three new songs to this package and come up winners again..." - Rating: A-


  Greatest Hits CD
  by Little River Band
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Australia's first real breakthrough act into the American market was Little River Band, an unassuming but extremely talented outfit fronted by the amazing vocals of Glenn Shorrock. This album is an update of the very popular 1982 Greatest Hits ... Full Descriptionrelease featuring six bonus track. 'Down on the Border', 'Happy Anniversary', 'Playing to Win', 'It's Not a Wonder', 'You're Driving Me Out of My Mind' and 'It's a Long Way There'. 18 tracks including the big hits 'Lonesome Loser', 'Help Is On It's Way', 'Reminiscing' and more. 2005.

With 11 hit songs breaking the Top 40, Australia's Little River Band was one of the most successful groups to emerge from down under. With the perfect sound via Glenn Shorrock's relaxed voice alongside the smooth flow of the guitar and keyboard work, LRB's polished style was draped all over radio throughout the late '70s and early '80s. This compilation from their most lucrative years contains all their chart hits, plus the sneaky-sounding "Down on the Border." Blending rock elegance with catchy, full-flavored harmonies, each of the songs on this album contains an element of gracious musical craft, whether it's a romantic ballad like "Lady" or an up-tempo rock song like "The Night Owls." The quirky verses of "Lonesome Loser" come out colorful and sleek, and the horns in "Reminiscing" emphasize the swagger and swoop of its debonair sound. Shorrock's voice can be fully appreciated on the beautiful "Cool Change," one of music's prettiest slow songs.
As a compilation, this album truly is a "greatest hits." ~ Mike DeGagne

A group like Little River Band is the epitome of a fine singles act. The band had two gold and two platinum albums in its late-'70s, early-'80s prime, but it's no surprise that its biggest seller is 1982's double-platinum Greatest Hits. In 2000, a 24-bit digitally remastered expanded edition was released and it's simply excellent.


  Best Of The Texas Tornados CD
  by Texas Tornados
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Texas Tornados: Freddy Fender, Flaco Jimenez, Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm.
Includes liner notes by Joe Nick Patoski.

The group parted as the novelty began to wear off, and each member went back to solo careers. This collects the songs that radio ignored. ~ Michael McCallQ (10/00, p.153) - 3 stars out of 5 - ".

..A format-defying mix: breezy Tex-Mex polkas and Spanish love songs rub shoulders with bluesy honky tonk and straight rock'n'roll..."

  20 Greatest Hits CD
  by Bobby Bare
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20 GREATEST HITS brings together Bobby Bare's best and best-known tunes in one perfectly assembled overview. Part of Bare's enduring appeal is his ability to flit between honky tonk, Countrypolitan-styled country-pop, folky story-songs, ballads, and almost everything else while still managing to make it all his own.

But while Bare's stylistic range impresses, and his performances are consistently appealing, it is his songwriting that really dazzles. In fact, there isn't a dud on this set, from the twangy sing-along of "Detroit City" to the comic gender-war narrative, "Numbers," to the drawling rockabilly of "All American Boy," the singer's first hit song. Witty, poignant, and infectiously catchy, Bare's songs stand up one after the other.

  Crystal Gayle: Greatest Hits CD
  by Crystal Gayle
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Personnel: Crystal Gayle (vocals).
Additional personnel: Eddie Rabbitt.

Capitol's 2007 edition of Crystal Gayle's greatest hits is the most thorough single-disc retrospective spotlighting ten years of the vocalist's career. Expanding both EMI's 1997 Classic Crystal and Rhino's 2002 Best of Crystal Gayle, this set effectively captures her full range of Top Ten country-pop classics initially released on United Artists, Elektra, Warner, and Columbia in the '70s and '80s.

With the exception of a song here and there, the track listing sticks close to chronological order starting in 1978 with a song her older sister Loretta Lynn wrote, "I've Cried (The Blues Right Out of My Eyes)," and ending with the 1986 cover version of Johnnie Ray's "Cry." The only complaint about this set is that five of her number one hits were excluded: "Our Love Is on the Faultline," "Baby, What About You," "Turning Away," "Straight to the Heart," and her duet with Gary Morris, "Making Up for Lost Time." Still, this is a well-rounded retrospective of Crystal Gayle's beautiful refined voice and timeless country-pop material. ~ Al Campbell

 Links to all the Country Music CD's. Linked by Style.
 [Country-Top Sellers]  [Country-Blues]  [Country-Honky Tonk]  [Country-Greatest Hits]
 [Country-Contemporary]  [Country-Early Years]  [Country-Outlaw]  [Country-Rock]