Disco de Travis Tritt: “Greatest Hits-From the Beginning”

Descripción (en inglés) :

Personnel: Travis Tritt (vocals); Marty Stuart (vocals, electric guitar); Larry Byrom (acoustic & electric guitars, acoustic & electric slide guitars); Billy Joe Walker, Jr. (acoustic & electric guitars, 12-string electric & slide guitars); Pat Buchanan (acoustic & electric guitars, slide guitar); Mac McAnally, Gregg Brown (acoustic guitar); Reggie Young (electric guitar, 6-string bass); Bernie Leadon, Wendell Cox, Richard Bennett, Jack Holder, Kent Wells, John Jorgenson, Greg Galbraith (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (acoustic lap steel, steel guitar); Terry Crisp (steel guitar, baritone steel); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Stuart Duncan, Mark O'Connor (fiddle); Jimmy Joe Ruggiere (harmonica); Bobby Ogdin (piano, harpsichord, keyboards); Matt Rollings, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Michael Rojas (piano); Billy Livsey (harmonium, Clavinet, Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes); Phil Madeira (Hammond B-3); Carl Marsh (synthesizer); Mike Brignardello (bass); Edgar Meyer (arco bass); Steve Turner (drums, percussion); Sam Bacco (timpani, cymbals, tambourine, crotale, percussion); John Cowan, Russell Smith, Tim Passmore, Dana McVicker, Dennis Locorriere, Terri Williams (background vocals). Engineers: Chris Hammond, Rob Feaster, Mike Poole, Jeff Baulding. Includes liner notes by Ken Kragen. Most of the rock-influenced country stars of the '90s have modeled themselves on the light side of '70s rock--The Eagles, Dan Fogelberg, Bonnie Raitt. Travis Tritt has cut a singular niche for himself by looking instead to the harder side of country--Waylon, Hank, Jr. and other musical outlaws. Like most nouveau country stars who went to rock and roll high schools, Tritt also listened to his share of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Seger (he even memorializes Duane Allman on "Put Some Drive In Your Country"); but few of his contemporaries are as adept at incorporating that big rock sound into hard-nosed, blue-collar country. "Here's A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" may be the high point of '90s outlaw music, with a bold acoustic guitar rhythm that nods to Steve Earle, a baritone vocal that is all George Jones, and a lyric that spits out pride and defiance where lesser men might cave in to sentiment. Tritt is proudly steeped in country lore but isn't afraid to upend a country cliche or two. "The Whiskey Ain't Working" is a drinking song in reverse--maybe even a sneaky ode to sobriety. Since the drink ain't doing its job, Tritt (with a duetting Marty Stuart) goes looking for a honky-tonk angel. Usually, of course, it's the angel who drives you to drink. There are fine rock moments among Tritt's singles, too. "Anymore" features some tasty tremolo guitar work, and other songs add stinging electric leads and bluesy harmonica fills. The descending chords and layered acoustic-electric arrangement of the power ballad "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" could light up any Midwestern arena, and "Sometimes She Forgets," a Steve Earle-penned song that is one of two new recordings here, features a guitar arrangement that would do Richard Thompson proud. In the early '90s, Travis Tritt was an Outlaw Country warrior, fighting the tyranny of the "hat acts" and carrying the torch of Waylon Jennings-style, rough-and-ready country while still remaining mainstream enough to move some serious units. His hirsute, hard-case image and ruffneck attitude were well supported by such hard-country tunes as the classic kiss-off "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" and the rebel-rousing anthem "T-R-O-U-B-L-E." Those indispensable items and a baker's dozen more are included on GREATEST HITS: FROM THE BEGINNING, a concise but excellently compiled package that provides an ideal entry point into Tritt's work. In the 21st century, in the wake of Shooter Jennings, Gretchen Wilson, et al., Tritt's oeuvre might seem somewhat tamer than it did at the time, and GREATEST HITS isn't all roadhouse revelry either--there are plenty of emotive ballads. Regardless, these tracks stand up as some of the finest to emerge from the era when country was in danger of turning into stadium rock with steel guitars.

Greatest Hits-From The Beginning is a solid collection of hits from Travis Tritt. My personal favorite off this record is Travis' big hit from '91, "Here's A Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares". I think that's one of the best kiss-off songs that anybody has recorded. Travis rocks elsewhere on the record, too. There are plenty of good up-tempo songs here: Travis' debut song "Country Club"; the rocking songs "Put Some Drive In Your Country", "I'm Gonna Be Somebody", "Ten Feet Tall And Bulletproof", and "T-R-O-U-B-L-E"(which in Travis' hands sounds better than it did when Elvis Presley originally recorded it, in my opinion); and the honky-tonker "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'", Travis' hit duet with his buddy Marty Stuart.

Travis, however, isn't just a Southern country rocker. He shows on this record that he can sing a great ballad. There are plenty of his best slow songs here, among them "Anymore", "Foolish Pride", "Tell Me I Was Dreaming", "Help Me Hold On", "Drift Off To Dream" and his previously unreleased hit single "Sometimes She Forgets". These are all powerful, well-done songs. The thing I especially like about this record is that Travis put together a pretty comprehensive collection of his greatest hits and didn't include a bunch of new songs while leaving out old ones(as did Clint Black, another artist who, like Travis, made his debut in '89). Those who are Travis Tritt fans, as well as those who just bought their first Travis Tritt record, will enjoy this one. This is a five-star record.

Travis Tritt has been called "outlaw" country since he first hopped onto the scene with "Country Club." He warrants that distinction, but much like Waylon Jennings, Tritt can put out beautiful and heart-wrenching ballads when he wants to. This disc covers the earlier part of Tritt's career. Included is the aforementioned(and somewhat gimmicky)"Country Club," and another gimmicky tune in "Put Some Drive In Your Country." "Here's A Quarter," "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'" and "Ten Feet Tall And Bulletproof" add to his "outlaw" label.

But I have to say that Tritt sounds best on his heart-tuggers like "Anymore," "Tell Me I Was Dreaming," and the wonderful "Foolish Pride." You'll also find "Help Me Hold On" and my personal favorite, "I'm Gonna Be Somebody."

Tritt's a definite star in the world of Country music. I don't think he'll be regarded as a legend like Jennings, but he'll make a great run of it.

Highly recommended.

Travis Tritt is without a doubt a talented artist, continuing the legacy of outlaw music throughout nineties-radio-fluff country. Songs such as "Here's a Quarter" and "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" say what most songs in the nineties dared not. Those two are also powerful rockers; you can find others on here, such as "Put Some Drive In Your Country" and "Ten Feet Tall and Bullet Proof."

Alongside the rockers, though, you have some of the best country ballads ever written. No one sings a ballad like Tritt; try and not be moved by "Help Me Hold On", "Tell Me I Was Dreaming," and "Can I Trust You With My Heart." And you have still others--the stone cold country of "Foolish Pride" (a powerful song that packs a whallop), and the honky-tonkers "Country Club" (gee, I know some people...) and "The Whiskey Ain't Workin", written by and sung with the one and only Marty Stuart.

Tritt's songwriting is often overlooked. Writing or co-writig nine of these hits, he has proven himself to be one of contemporary country's best songwriters AND singers. Quite a feat, for a guy grounded in old-school country.

Travis Tritt's "Greatest Hits" is a country album that exemplifies the best of traditional country AND country/rock. You have to give this one a listen, whether you're a Tritt fan or not; if you are, you know what to expect; if you're not, then get ready to get hooked.