The Very Best of Tracy Lawrence (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Joe Spivey (guitar, fiddle); Brent Mason (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, gut-string guitar); Brent Rowan (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin); Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar, harmonica); Rick Huckaby (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Larry Byrom, B. James Lowry, Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Chris Leuzinger, Dann Huff (electric guitar); Paul Franklin, Sonny Garrish (steel guitar, dobro); Dan Dugmore, Bruce Bouton (steel guitar); Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); Rob Hajacos, Hank Singer (fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica, percussion); Gary E. Smith (piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Tony Harrell, Steve Nathan (piano, keyboards); Dennis Burnside, Flip Anderson (piano); James Stroud, Lonnie Wilson, Eddie Bayers (drums, percussion); Jack Gavin, Milton Sledge, Shannon Forrest (drums); Curtis Young, Deryl Dodd, Dennis Wilson Quintet, John Wesley Ryles, Liana Manis (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Butch Carr; Pat McMacon; Julian King; Lynn Peterzell; Mike Bradley.

Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot.

Liner Note Author: Melinda Newman.

Photographer: Matthew Barnes.

Starting with 1991's STICKS AND STONES, Texan Tracy Lawrence has taken up the mantle of honky tonk for a new generation of country artists. As Nashville has moved further towards pop and rock influences, Lawrence's fierce traditionalism has caused him to be squeezed out of the picture a bit; Lawrence has been without a major label contract since 2004. Rhino's excellent THE VERY BEST OF TRACY LAWRENCE is a 21-track précis of that 13-year period, picking tracks from all of his Atlantic and Warner Brothers albums to paint a picture of Lawrence as the modern heir to the likes of Ray Price and Lefty Frizell: a honky-tonker who knows his way around a tear-stained ballad as well. The well-chosen selection contains all of Lawrence's biggest singles, including all seven of his number-one hits. minimize