This collection presents fifteen tracks from the 1985 sessions in which Miller (along with producer Buddy Killen) re-recorded many of his hit songs for an album that would be sold on television. These are good productions, and Miller's voice, though not showing the agility or flexibility of the original hit vocals, is still quite charming. But given that the original hits are readily available (though you have to search for them among all the reissues of these 1985 sessions), these re-recordings are more the province of completist collectors than casual fans.
Artists often revisit their earlier glories, occasionally lending something new to old chestnuts by virtue of their maturity as performers. These re-recordings capture the essence of the originals (namely, Miller's brilliant songwriting and the giddiness of his singing), but they're overshadowed in the details by the original, iconic hit singles. Recutting a rich history of hits in a few compact sessions invariably flattens out the artistic arc, obscuring the definition each original holds as a step along the artist's career path.
Two of these mid-80s tracks were overdubbed by Miller's widow, Mary Miller (a one-time member of Kenny Rogers' First Edition), following her husband's passing in 1992. Her vocals turn "Husbands and Wives" and "The Last Word in Lonesome" into unusual posthumous duets. Of further interest are three mid-70s singles cut for Columbia: "Open Up Your Heart," "I Believe in the Sunshine" and "Our Love."
1985's Roger Miller was a wiser and more practiced performer than the man who recorded these same songs over the preceding twenty years. His fans will no doubt enjoy the opportunity to hear him reconsider his artistic successes, but those wishing to get the heart of Miller's work are better off with a collection of his original hit recordings.
2-1/2 stars, if Amazon allowed fractional ratings.
