20 Greatest Hits in Bloomington, MN

While
Ray Benson
's indefatigable
Western swing revival
outfit
Asleep at the Wheel
has recorded for a handful of labels over the course of a career that's spanned four decades (so far), they've cut enough stuff for
Capitol
and other labels currently under their ownership (
United Artists
and
Liberty
) that this compilation, if not definitive, certainly provides a healthy and accurate overview of their career. (
also licensed one track each from the band's
Epic
Arista
back catalogs for good measure.) Though
has dipped its toes ever so slightly into the
country
mainstream over the years,
Benson
and his crew have always stayed true to their love for the vintage sounds of
hillbilly boogie
,
Western swing
, and twang-infused
blues
, and these 20 cuts prove that despite dozens of lineup changes, this group's musical vision has remained consistently strong through the decades, and that both then and now they knew how to keep the sainted spirit of
Bob Wills
alive and dancing. While the sheer bulk of
's back catalog would suggest that a box set is in order for this band,
20 Greatest Hits
shows they started out with the right idea and have yet to lose it, and if it isn't the ideal
AATW
collection, it's a better-than-average cross section of their music and a pretty good introduction for beginners. ~ Mark Deming