22 More Hits (CD - 2007)

Although the title implies that 22 MORE HITS is a sequel to a previous George Strait best-of anthology--of which there have been more than a dozen since 1986's GREATEST HITS--it in fact merely compiles a cross-section of some of the Texan country superstar's most beloved songs from the first quarter-century of his career. Many of Strait's best-known songs are absent, but with fan favorites such as "Amarillo By Morning," "Gone As A Girl Can Get," and "Don't Make Me Come Over There and Love You" among its choices, this is as good a single-disc George Strait anthology as any that's been gathered.

Cutting to the chase in a greatest-hits offering is always the best way to go. There's a reason this disc is called 22 More Hits, and that's because George Strait has laid out single after single after single since the early 1980s, and has become the most consistently top-selling artist in the contemporary country books. Strait continues to top polls, issue new albums, and tour with astonishing regularity and has ridden a wave that no one could have foreseen in this fickle industry. From "Amarillo Morning," and "When Did You Stop Loving Me," to "Don't Make Me Come Over There and Love You," and "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger," they are all here. The inclusion of so many number ones on a single disc make this the de facto best-of in the catalog of this most impressive and consistent artist who embodies not only the tradition, but what's best about the contemporary sound as well. ~ Thom Jurek minimize