Search - Jim Stafford :: Best of

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. IMHO, NOT his best!

Tom Tuerff | That there Phoenix place | 07/31/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"What we have here is essentially a re-release of MOST of Jim Stafford's first album on MGM (Wildwood Weed is shamefully missing here, as is, unfortunately, "My Girl Bill" and, thankfully, Stafford's HORRIBLE version of Mr. Bojangles). Included are the single-only "Undecided" and "Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne," which was a hit a couple years later.This is a good intro to Stafford but the guy was putting out funny stuff well into the '80s. There needs to be a definitive collection. This ain't it."

What A Deplorable Practice!

Tom Tuerff | 09/04/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"To put out a "best of" compilation which does not deliver the goods is a deplorable practice all too often evident in today's market, the chief proponents of which are Collectables and Curb. You can now add this distributor. I don't blame the reviewer who feels "gyped." So do I, although I wouldn't go quite so far as to award just one star.



The thing is, it starts off pretty good as the first four tracks represent the A- and B-sides of his first two hits. In June 1973 Swamp Witch made the Top 40, settling in at # 31 Adult Contemporary (AC)/# 39 Billboard Pop Hot 100 b/w Nifty Fifty Blues, while in December, Spiders And Snakes peaked at # 3 Hot 100/# 28 AC/# 66 Country b/w Undecided.



But then it completely skips over My Girl Bill, which hit # 9 AC/# 12 Hot 100/# 64 Country in June 1974 b/w L.A. Mama), and at track 5 instead offers us The Last Chant, which was the uncharted flip of Wildwood Weed [# 7 Hot 100/# 29 AC/# 57 Country in August 1974, and which is NOT included.



Both sides of his next hit are, however, at tracks 6 and 7: Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne (# 24 Hot 100 in January 1975) b/w A Real Good Time. Alas, tracks 8 and 9 were neither hits nor B-sides of hits for Jim. So why are they here in a limited album called "The Best Of Jim Stafford?"



Three of his other seven MGM hit singles are in the Greatest Hits CD advertised by Amazon: My Girl Bill, Wildwood Weed, and Turn Loose My Leg [which hit # 98 in February 1977].



Not to be found anywhere are: I Got Stoned And I Missed It [# 37 Hot 100 in September 1975]; Jasper [# 69 Hot 100 in April 1976]; Cow Patti [# 65 Country in January 1981 on the Viva/Warner label]; What Mama Don't Know [# 61 Country in December 1982 for the Town House label], and Little Bits And Pieces [# 67 Country in March 1984 for Columbia].



It's time Ace of London or Rhino took a hand and gave us a proper anthology of his hits. In the meantime, for the price asked, this is at least a 2-star CD."

GREAT SINGER AND SONG WRITER

Lone Wolf | 03/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This kind of music brings back the good days when I was alot younger and life was a whole lot more fun. I recommend everyone should hear his music and enjoy the good clean music we use to have that still made you laugh and have fun."