The rising tide of teen-pop phenomenons like 'N Sync and Britney
Spears washed in with it the return of the all-star hits compilation,
an idea that had been sleeping soundly since the glory days of K-Tel
in the 1970s. This resurrection paid off with humongous sales for CDs
in the pop Now and Totally Hits series, and now it's country's turn
to try for a piece of that pie with Totally Country.
This CD, the first in a planned series, brings 17 different acts
to the table and serves up a heaping helping of hits from the last
three years (all but two of which went Top 10). And for most of its
66-minute running time, Totally Country is about as good a snapshot
of the current state of mainstream country as you could want.
The secret weapon of a hits compilation is surprise - a
fresh new sound appears every few minutes, each one a chart-tested
crowd-pleaser. Totally Country is dominated by the rough 'n' ready
likes of Brooks & Dunn's wide-open "Only In America," Lonestar's
gleeful "With Me" and keith urban's thumping "Where The Blacktop
Ends." For what it's worth, Totally Country's most irresistible cut
is also the one that was least successful on radio: Dwight Yoakam's
rip through Cheap Trick's classic "I Want You To Want Me" only made
it to No. 49.
Totally Country runs out of steam toward the end as it settles in
for a long stretch through ballad territory. But by then, the album
has already proven its point -that today's country can match
today's pop, hit for hit.
-- Chris Neal
Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volumes 1 & 2
Elvis Costello Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
Charlie Robison Beautiful Day
Rhett Miller Rhett Miller
Gloriana The Way It Goes EP
Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey Here and Now
Sarah Darling Every Monday Morning
