Greatest Hits [2011] in Bloomington, MN

For those who purchased the original CD version of
the Marshal Tucker Band
's
Greatest Hits
compilation -- taken directly from the
Capricorn
LP version and distributed by
K-Tel
-- be aware that this 21st century
Shout Factory
version is a very different, more authoritative, and satisfying document. This version of
contains 14 tracks compared to the original's eight. It contains the actual single versions of
"Heard It in a Love Song,"
"Searchin' for a Rainbow,"
"Long Hard Ride,"
"Can't You See,"
and
"This 'Ol Cowboy."
Instead of following a strict chronological line, producer
Ron Rainey
assembles these tracks in a manner that makes for an ultimate
MTB
playlist. Along with the singles, it contains select top-notch album cuts including
"In My Own Way"
(with a guest spot by
Charlie Daniels
on fiddle) the blues
"Too Stubborn,"
"Desert Skies,"
"I Should Never Have Started Lovin' You,
" from
Carolina Dreams
, the latter showcasing the sheer versatility of the band with its jazz overtones. It contains only cuts recorded by the original sextet of
Doug Gray
, brothers
Toy
Tommy Caldwell
,
George McCorkle
Paul Riddle
, and
Jerry Eubanks
between 1973 and 1977 (all
, no
Warner
). In addition to a stellar track selection, the sound has been brilliantly remastered by
Buddy Strong
Gray
. Hearing
"Fire on the Mountain,"
"Ramblin',"
"24 Hours at a Time,"
"Take the Highway"
in this context reveals
not so much as a "Southern Rock Band" with all the excesses and cliches that implies, but as a highly skilled, very ambitious group of musicians who were influenced by everything from country and blues to jazz, pop, and even soul. For hardcore fans, more than likely there isn't anything here you don't already have, but for anyone curious or looking for a truly representative single-disc compilation, this one is head and shoulders above anything else out there. ~ Thom Jurek