There's more than one
B.B. King
best-of out on the racks, but this 1998 issue,
Greatest Hits [MCA]
, updates his chart achievements and puts them together in a modern, 16-track package for both the novice and casual modern
blues
listener. Kicking off with a pair of tunes from the influential
Live at the Regal
album (
"Sweet Little Angel,"
"Everyday I Have the Blues"
), the set moves through mid- to late-'60s breakthrough hits like
"How Blue Can You Get?,"
"Paying the Cost to Be the Boss,"
"Why I Sing the Blues,"
"Don't Answer the Door,"
and his signature tune,
"The Thrill Is Gone."
The
pop
-
fusions
King
experimented with in the '70s and '80s show up on
"To Know You Is to Love You,"
"I Like to Live the Love,"
and
"Hummingbird."
The modern-day end of things is represented by duets with
Robert Cray
on
"Playin' with My Friends,"
rock
group
U2
"When Love Comes to Town."
Although missing all of his early-'50s hits, this is a good buy for the casual fan coming to his music for the first time, and for longtime aficionados looking for a quick-fix update. ~ Cub Koda