Best of Billy Ray Cyrus: Cover To Cover (CD - 1997)

Contains three previously unreleased tracks.

Personnel: Billy Ray Cyrus (vocals, acoustic guitar); Michael Sagraves (acoustic, electric, slide & steel guitars, harmonica, mandolin, dobro); Terry Shelton (acoustic, electric, & slide guitars); Don Von Tress (acoustic & electric guitar, mandolin, bass); Keith Hinton (electric guitar); Barton Stevens (keyboards); Corky Holbrook (bass); Greg Fletcher (drums, percussion).

Additional personnel: John D. Willis, Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); J.T. Corenflos, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Stuart Duncan (fiddle); Gary Prim (keyboards); Dave Pomeroy (bass); Paul Leim (drums); John Wesley Ryles (background vocals).

Producers include: Jim Cotton, Keith Stegall, John Kelton, Terry Shelton, Billy Ray Cyrus.

Personnel: Billy Ray Cyrus (acoustic guitar); Michael J. Sagraves (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, steel guitar, dobro, mandolin, harmonica); Terry Shelton (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar); Don Von Tress (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, bass guitar); Biff Watson, John D. Willis (acoustic guitar); Keith Hinton, J.T. Corenflos, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Stuart Duncan (fiddle); Barton Stevens, Gary Prim (keyboards); Greg Fletcher (drums, percussion); Paul Leim (drums); John Wesley Ryles (background vocals).

Photographers: Peter Nash; Tish Cyrus; Dean Dixon; Sprintz-Hall; Larry Busacca.

Billy Ray Cyrus recorded only four albums before releasing The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus, which indicates his status as a one-hit wonder. "Achy Breaky Heart" was the hit that made his career, but it also ruined it, since its jokey refrain and his good looks meant that no one took him seriously. There's not much evidence on The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus that those critics were wrong, but there are more enjoyable songs here than you might expect, especially since it whittles all four albums down to just the highlights. For every casual fan, this is the one Cyrus disc they'll want to own, even if Some Gave All functions fairly well as an album itself. ~ Thom Owens minimize