16 Biggest Hits [Bonus Track] in Bloomington, MN

The title of
Epic
/
Legacy
's
16 Biggest Hits
is slightly misleading -- not because the collection doesn't contain big hits, but because there's really 17 songs on this collection, with the last cut a bonus track on the CD only. This doesn't really matter, since it doesn't really effect the tenor and purpose of the collection, which is to serve up 16/17 of
Mickey Gilley
's biggest hits for
Playboy
from the '70s and early '80s. Of course, this was done very effectively with the definitive
Ten Years of Hits
in 1984, and this collection cribs heavily from that two-LP/single-disc set, sharing no less than 15 songs with that previous collection. This does have the advantage of chronological sequencing -- something that helps
Gilley
more than some other artists, since he shifted toward slicker material as his career rolled on and it's nice to hear the purer stuff grouped together -- along with better sound. However, as a representation of his best,
edges out this set because it captures his prime better; the two songs on
not on
Ten Years
--
"Fool for Your Love"
and
"Paradise Tonight"
-- are from 1983 and aren't among his best, while everything, even the sappy stuff, on
showcases
at his best. That said, this still has more than enough of his best to make it worthwhile, especially if it's found at a reasonable price. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine