Greatest Hits: From the Beginning (CD - 1995)

Personnel: Travis Tritt (vocals); Marty Stuart (vocals, electric guitar); Larry Byrom (acoustic & electric guitars, acoustic & electric slide guitars); Billy Joe Walker, Jr. (acoustic & electric guitars, 12-string electric & slide guitars); Pat Buchanan (acoustic & electric guitars, slide guitar); Mac McAnally, Gregg Brown (acoustic guitar); Reggie Young (electric guitar, 6-string bass); Bernie Leadon, Wendell Cox, Richard Bennett, Jack Holder, Kent Wells, John Jorgenson, Greg Galbraith (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (acoustic lap steel, steel guitar); Terry Crisp (steel guitar, baritone steel); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Stuart Duncan, Mark O'Connor (fiddle); Jimmy Joe Ruggiere (harmonica); Bobby Ogdin (piano, harpsichord, keyboards); Matt Rollings, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Michael Rojas (piano); Billy Livsey (harmonium, Clavinet, Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes); Phil Madeira (Hammond B-3); Carl Marsh (synthesizer); Mike Brignardello (bass); Edgar Meyer (arco bass); Steve Turner (drums, percussion); Sam Bacco (timpani, cymbals, tambourine, crotale, percussion); John Cowan, Russell Smith, Tim Passmore, Dana McVicker, Dennis Locorriere, Terri Williams (background vocals).

Engineers: Chris Hammond, Rob Feaster, Mike Poole, Jeff Baulding.

Includes liner notes by Ken Kragen.

Most of the rock-influenced country stars of the '90s have modeled themselves on the light side of '70s rock--The Eagles, Dan Fogelberg, Bonnie Raitt. Travis Tritt has cut a singular niche for himself by looking instead to the harder side of country--Waylon, Hank, Jr. and other musical outlaws. Like most nouveau country stars who went to rock and roll high schools, Tritt also listened to his share of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Seger (he even memorializes Duane Allman on "Put Some Drive In Your Country"); but few of his contemporaries are as adept at incorporating that big rock sound into hard-nosed, blue-collar country.

"Here's A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" may be the high point of '90s outlaw music, with a bold acoustic guitar rhythm that nods to Steve Earle, a baritone vocal that is all George Jones, and a lyric that spits out pride and defiance where lesser men might cave in to sentiment. Tritt is proudly steeped in country lore but isn't afraid to upend a country cliche or two. "The Whiskey Ain't Working" is a drinking song in reverse--maybe even a sneaky ode to sobriety. Since the drink ain't doing its job, Tritt (with a duetting Marty Stuart) goes looking for a honky-tonk angel. Usually, of course, it's the angel who drives you to drink.

There are fine rock moments among Tritt's singles, too. "Anymore" features some tasty tremolo guitar work, and other songs add stinging electric leads and bluesy harmonica fills. The descending chords and layered acoustic-electric arrangement of the power ballad "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" could light up any Midwestern arena, and "Sometimes She Forgets," a Steve Earle-penned song that is one of two new recordings here, features a guitar arrangement that would do Richard Thompson proud.

Personnel: Marty Stuart (vocals, electric guitar); Larry Byrom (acoustic guitar, slide guitar); Mac McAnally (acoustic guitar); Pat Buchanan (electric guitar, slide guitar); Billy Joe Walker, Jr., Wendell Cox, Jack Holder, John Jorgenson, Reggie Young , Richard Bennett , Bernie Leadon, Kent Wells (electric guitar); Paul Franklin, Terry Crisp (steel guitar); Mark O'Connor , Stuart Duncan (fiddle); Jimmy Joe Ruggiere (harmonica); Bobby Ogdin (piano, harpsichord); Matt Rollings, Mike Rojas , Hargus "Pig" Robbins (piano); Billy Livsey (harmonium); Steve Turner (drums); Sam Bacco (timpani, percussion); Dana McVicker, Dennis Locorriere, John Cowan, Russell Smith (background vocals).

Recording information: Castle; Emerald Sound Studio; OMNI Sound.

In the early '90s, Travis Tritt was an Outlaw Country warrior, fighting the tyranny of the "hat acts" and carrying the torch of Waylon Jennings-style, rough-and-ready country while still remaining mainstream enough to move some serious units. His hirsute, hard-case image and ruffneck attitude were well supported by such hard-country tunes as the classic kiss-off "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" and the rebel-rousing anthem "T-R-O-U-B-L-E." Those indispensable items and a baker's dozen more are included on GREATEST HITS: FROM THE BEGINNING, a concise but excellently compiled package that provides an ideal entry point into Tritt's work.

In the 21st century, in the wake of Shooter Jennings, Gretchen Wilson, et al., Tritt's oeuvre might seem somewhat tamer than it did at the time, and GREATEST HITS isn't all roadhouse revelry either--there are plenty of emotive ballads. Regardless, these tracks stand up as some of the finest to emerge from the era when country was in danger of turning into stadium rock with steel guitars. minimize