Search - Ray Stevens :: Greatest Hits

An odd collection, but a definite must-have

John A. Kuczma | Marietta, GA USA | 06/01/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From a strictly commercial perspective, this is not a Greatest Hits album. It features only one Top Ten hit, although that one, "Everything is Beautiful" was a number one. The collection has a decidedly country flavor, including songs like "Nashville", "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex" and "There's a Star-Spangled Banner" which did fairly well on the country charts but were virtually ignored on the pop side of the house.That said, this is not a bad album. In fact, it is a very good album. It displays a versatility that most of Ray's numerous GH collections choose to ignore in favor of focussing on the "musical clown" image. There is the gospel/spiritual influenced "Turn Your Radio On", the socially conscious and fairly successful (Number 28 on the charts) "Mr Businessman", and the profound and somewhat disturbing "Isn't It Lonely Together?", a bittersweet ballad that reveals a surprising depth of feeling. The last two songs alone are worth much more than the price of the album.If you want to laugh along with Ray Steven's well-known musical histrionics, this isn't the album for you. However, if you want to see and hear Ray in a completely different and very revealing light, this collection is genuine buried treasure. Highly recommended."