Amazon.com
The great appeal of this Oh Boy Records retrospective for most people will be the three previously unreleased tracks by John Prine, the cofounder of the imprint. The veteran singer/songwriter contributes three estimable live tracks to the collection, and guests with R.B. Morris on one track and Donnie Fritts on another. Oh Boy recruits Keith Sykes, the Bisquits, and Heather Eastman round out the cast. All fare respectably, and highlights abound. Stalwart songsmith Sykes's "I Was Right About You" and Eastman's "Miss Liberty" are earthy pop tracks. The Bisquits' "Small Town/Big Hair" and Morris's "World Owes Me," meanwhile, represent stinging Southern rock. And it's nice to hear from journeyman Fritts, who enlists Willie Nelson and a crack crew of Memphis regulars to help out with "The Oldest Baby in the World." --Steven Stolder |