Buck Owens - 21 #1 Hits: The Ultimate Collection *

Artist:

Owens, Buck

UPC:

081227409326

See Also:

Foley, Red Holly, Buddy Carter Family (The) Buck Owens - Country Legends Susan Raye/Buck Owens - Merry Christmas from Buck and Susan [10/25]

Description:

Personnel: Buck Owens (vocals, guitar); Dwight Yoakam (vocals, guitar); Don Rich, Doyle Holly, Jimmy Burton, Albert "Al Bruno" Bruneau, Jelly Sanders, Pete Anderson, Red Simpson (guitar); Jay McDonald, Jay Dee Maness (steel guitar); Don Reed (fiddle); Flaco Jim?nez (accordion); Skip Edwards (piano); Jim Shaw (organ); Willie Cantu (drums, tambourine); Mel King, Jeff Donavan, Ken Presley, Jerry Wiggins, Mel Taylor (drums); The Jordanaires (background vocals).
Audio Remasterer: Dave Schultz.
Liner Note Author: Rich Kienzle.
Recording information: Buck Owens` Studio, Bakersfield, CA (02/12/1963-04/04/1988); Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (02/12/1963-04/04/1988); The London Palladium, London, England (02/12/1963-04/04/1988).
It`s not accurate to say that Buck Owens` catalog has been mistreated on CD -- he was one of the first major country artists to be given an excellent, comprehensive multi-disc box set, and he`s one of the few country artists to see most of his actual full-length LPs reissued on CD. Despite all this activity, there has been one glaring omission from his discography: a single-disc overview of his career containing all his big hits. Released a few months after his death, Rhino`s 2006 release 21 #1 Hits: The Ultimate Collection comes close to filling that bill. Like most collections that narrow their focus to just Billboard chart-toppers, 21 #1 Hits contains the lion`s share of the artist`s best-known songs -- in this case, "Act Naturally," "Love`s Gonna Live Here," "I`ve Got a Tiger by the Tail," "Together Again," "Buckaroo," and his duet with Dwight Yoakam on "Streets of Bakersfield" are all here -- yet misses some important and popular sides that came up shy of the pole position. Here, such early singles as "Second Fiddle," "Under Your Spell Again," "Above and Beyond," and "Mental Cruelty" are missing in action, and all deserve a spot on a definitive introduction to Buck, particularly since there`s room for them on this 50-minute disc. Also, this comp suffers from odd sequencing: most of his best-known songs all arrive within the first six songs, including the 1988 re-recording of "Streets of Bakersfield," which sounds out of place sandwiched between the `60s classics "Love`s Gonna Live Here" and "I`ve Got a Tiger by the Tail." After that introductory burst, it settles into a rough chronological order, which only highlights the fact that the 1988 "Streets" would have been a better closer than Buck`s admittedly fine 1969 live version of "Johnny B. Goode." But this is nitpicking: there is no other single-disc Buck CD that comes as close to offering as much of his best in one disc as 21 #1 Hits: The Ultimate Collection, and it`s nice to finally have such a collection in his catalog after such a long wait. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Act Naturally
2. Love`s Gonna Live Here
3. Streets of Backersfield
4. I`ve Got a Tiger by the Tail
5. My Heart Skips a Beat
6. Together Again
7. I Don`t Care (Just as Long as You Love Me)
8. Before You Go
9. Only You (Can Break My Heart)
10. Buckaroo
11. Waitin` in Your Welfare Line
12. Think of Me
13. Open Up Your Heart
14. Where Does the Good Times Go
15. Sam`s Place
16. Your Tender Loving Care
17. How Long Will My Baby Be Gone
18. Who`s Gonna Mow Your Grass
19. Tall Dark Stranger
20. Made in Japan
21. Johnny B. Goode - (live)

Album Information

Release Date:

08/01/2006

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Country

Subgenre:

Bakersfield

Label:

Rhino

Producer:

Ken Nelson; Pete Anderson; Ken Nelson; Peter Anderson

Catalog Number:

8122740932

Original Release Year:

2006

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

Runtime:

49 : 57

Portions copyright 2005 Muze Inc. All rights reserved.