Greatest Hits (CD - 1998)

The Enhanced CD version of GREATEST HITS features footage from all 18 music videos, a biography, discography and photographs. It also contains interviews with the songwriters of each song on the compilation. The audio tracks are playable on conventional CD players.

Personnel includes: Joe Diffie (vocals); Al Anderson (acoustic & electric guitars); Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Bruce C. Bouton, Paul Franklin (pedal steel guitar); Larry Franklin (fiddle, mandolin); Steve Nathan (piano); John Barlow Jarvis (Hammon B-3 organ, Wurlitzer); Glenn Worf (bass); Lonnie Wilson (drums, percussion); Liana Manis (background vocals).

Producers: Johnny Slate, Joe Diffie, Bob Montgomery, Don Cook, Lonnie Wilson.

Engineers include: Mike Bradley.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Personnel: Joe Diffie (vocals, background vocals); Al Anderson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Larry Franklin (mandolin, fiddle); Steve Nathan (piano); John Barlow Jarvis (Wurlitzer organ); Lonnie Wilson (drums, percussion); Liana Manis (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Mike Bradley.

Recording information: ATV Tree Recording Studio; Sony; SoundShop Studio A.

Photographer: Russ Harrington.

Greatest Hits is an excellent summation of Joe Diffie's first six albums, offering 12 of his biggest hit singles, including "Third Rock from the Sun," "John Deere Green," "Texas Size Heartache," "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)," "Honky Tonk Attitude" and "Bigger Than the Beatles." It's ideal for casual fans and neophytes, but even hardcore fans may want the collection, since it's the most consistently enjoyable record in his catalog. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

After eight albums of chart-devouring material, Joe Diffie has an adequate reserve of hits to choose from in assembling GREATEST HITS. Though a simple by-the-numbers collection would have been fine to his armies of adoring fans, Diffie instead chose to use the opportunity to mix the old with the new, by way of saying thanks to the public who put him at the fore of Country's elite. As a result, this retrospective is highlighted by three unreleased tracks, which mix in perfectly with his established hits.

It's a testament to Diffie's power as a performer that he can move from the hilarious "Pickup Man," highlighting the love between man and truck, and the tender earnestness of "So Help Me Girl," as effective a love song as you're likely to hear. Throw in the raucous stomp of "Honky Tonk Attitude" and the wistful charm of "Bigger Than The Beatles," and you've got an artist who can convey a range of emotions better than most performers can do one. Throw in the three new songs, with heavy-hitter Don Cook producing, and JOE DIFFIE'S GREATEST HITS stands proud--a unique hits collection by a unique hit maker. minimize