Greatest Hits (CD - 2006)

Personnel: Johnny Colla (vocals, guitar, saxophone); Chris Hayes , Stef Burns (vocals, guitar); Huey Lewis (vocals, harmonica); Sean Hopper (vocals, keyboards); Bill Gibson (vocals, drums); Rob Sudduth (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Rev. Ron Stallings (tenor saxophone); Marvin McFadden (trumpet).

Additional personnel: Stef Burns (guitars); John Pierce (bass instrument); Rob Sudduth, Rev. Ron Stallings, Marvin McFadden.

Audio Remasterer: Robert Vosgien.

Liner Note Authors: Huey Lewis; Jimmy Kimmel.

Recording information: San Francisco, CA (02/21/1985).

Photographers: Jeffrey Mayer; Robert Specter; Aaron Rapoport; Roger Ressmeyer.

An improvement over 1996's TIME FLIES best-of, 2006's GREATEST HITS brings together 21 tracks from 1980s staples Huey Lewis and the News. Anyone who drew air in the '80s, and was within 30 miles of a radio, will recognize the lion's share of tracks here. Whether it be the throwback backbeat of "Heart of Rock & Roll," the sunny, doo-wop-inspired "If This Is It," or the bobbling, new wave groove of "I Want A New Drug," Lewis's breezy brand of commercial pop is long on hooks that sink in and won't let go. The band was reviled by rock fans as sanitized, mainstream pap, but GREATEST HITS, with its stream of smash hits, is an excellent argument for Lewis's staying power.

There have been many Huey Lewis & the News hits compilations released overseas, but 2006's simply named Greatest Hits is only the second U.S. comp, following Time Flies, which appeared a decade earlier. At a generous 21 tracks, Greatest Hits is not only five songs longer than Time Flies, but it's a better-chosen collection, too. It may be missing "Bad Is Bad," but it has a stronger selection of early songs, like the wonderful "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do," plus a better selection of latter-day songs, including Huey's duet with Gwyneth Paltrow on Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'." That doesn't mean the disc is perfect, however -- although this does have a stronger representation of their earlier material, it could use just a little bit more, and the non-chronological sequencing is a bit of a headache. That said, this has all the hits and no weak songs, making it the best Huey Lewis & the News compilation yet. [It's even better in the CD/DVD version, which contains a DVD with nine videos, including an original edit of "Doing It All for My Baby," a long version of "The Power of Love," and a previously unreleased version of "Do You Believe in Love."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

There have been many Huey Lewis & the News hits compilations released overseas, but 2006's simply named Greatest Hits is only the second U.S. comp, following Time Flies, which appeared a decade earlier. At a generous 21 tracks, Greatest Hits is not only five songs longer than Time Flies, but it's a better-chosen collection, too. It may be missing "Bad Is Bad," but it has a stronger selection of early songs, like the wonderful "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do," plus a better selection of latter-day songs, including Huey's duet with Gwyneth Paltrow on Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'." That doesn't mean the disc is perfect, however -- although this does have a stronger representation of their earlier material, it could use just a little bit more, and the non-chronological sequencing is a bit of a headache. That said, this has all the hits and no weak songs, making it the best Huey Lewis & the News compilation yet. [It's even better in the CD/DVD version, which contains a DVD with nine videos, including an original edit of "Doing It All for My Baby," a long version of "The Power of Love," and a previously unreleased version of "Do You Believe in Love."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize