Track Listing

1. Black Rose
2. Old Five And Dimers Like Me
3. Bottom Dollar
4. Lately I Been Leanin' T'ward The Blues
5. Texas Uphere Tennessee
6. Ride Me Down Easy
7. When I Get My Wings
8. A Restless Wind
9. You Asked Me To
10. Fit To Kill And Going Out In Style
11. Ragged Old Truck
12. I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal
13. Amtrak (Ain't Coming Back)
14. Low Down Freedom
15. I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train
16. Sweet Mama
17. It Was Fun While It Lasted
18. Good News Blues

Product Details

• Released on: 1995-09-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Import, Best of
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

From Amazon.com
In many respects, the true measure of an artist is his reputation among peers. Using this metric, Billy Joe Shaver remains one of country music's greatest assets. Culled from six records (three from the '70s and three from the '80s), this retrospective not only salutes the songwriter, but also sheds light on the gruff, effortless singer. Assisted along the way by friends including Dickey Betts, Willie Nelson, and son Eddy, Shaver sings with brutal honesty about love, faith, religion, rambling, fighting, and freedom. Despite the varied subjects, he never seems to contradict himself: He knows that all have a place in real life. More than "outlaw country," this is "outcast country." Eddy's guitar work, which accompanies all of the 1980s work, adds even more punch to his father's sound. By anyone's expectations, this would have been the definitive Shaver collection, but who'd have thought that Billy Joe and son would still be pumping out superb records throughout the 1990s? --Marc Greilsamer