50 Number one hits? Now that’s a name for a “Greatest Hits” album. Not one singer has as many #1 hits as Mr. George Strait. He’s surpassed everyone in any genre and isn’t about to stop. In fact the lone new track “tacked” onto this 2-disc collection of songs released to capitalize on the Christmas holiday season, “I Hate Everything,” is #1 single number 51. So the title actually could be changed. After the opening new track, the CD is progressed in chronological order, from first number one hit (“Fool Hearted Memory” from 1982) on disc one to the last hit 2002’s “She’ll Leave You With A Smile.” While there’s been 50 #1 hits over the course of 20 years (which works out to 2.5 #1 hits a year!), good ole’ George has had at least 20 more Top 10 hits (such as “The Fireman” and “Desperately”). Many of them songs that made it to the runner-up position on the charts. Not too shabby. If there were ever a man who deserved to be named the king of country music, it’d be George Strait. He started a whole trend that continues today (starched Wrangler jeans, cowboy hats and wrangler shirts), inspired the two generations of singers (including Garth Brooks and newcomer Blaine Larsen) and has provided the blueprint for a successful music career. The best thing about it all, Like “The Chairman Of The Board” (Sinatra) said, he did it his way. This, my friends, is something that Larsen has subscribed to while others “whore” out their self-identity for the sake of superstardom (which rarely happens). Another artist who subscribed to the be yourself theory, like it or not, is Shania Twain.

As for the remaining 48 tracks on this CD, there’s simply too many of them to comment individually but I must say that there were quite a few of the early 1980’s hits that I didn’t recognize by title. However, as soon as I heard the songs, I was singing along to them. A few of these songs were “Let’s Fall To Pieces Together,” “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her,” and “What’s Going on In Your World.” Some of my favorite Strait songs are the story ones, like “The Chair,” “Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” “Love Without End, Amen,” “Check Yes Or No” and ”I Can Still Make Cheyenne.” That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy the uptempo fun of songs like “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “Ocen Front Property,” “We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This.” “Blue Clear Sky” and “Living and Living Well.” There’s also the hits from George’s lone movie, “Heartland” and the eternal wedding anthem “I Cross My Heart..” In fact, there’s a #1 hit from every album released by George from his debut album to 2002’s “The Road Less Traveled” (2003’s fine “Honkytonkville” featured a few Top 10 hits).

George Strait simply is a living legend. There’s no other way to say it. Even if you’re not a fan of country music, chances are very likely that you’ve heard at least a dozen of these songs before. There’s something to be said about consistency and longevity. George Strait has all of that in spades. While many would want to proclaim Brooks the king of country music based on sales, he was more or less a 10-year anomaly (albeit a very successful anomaly with 100 Million albums sold) Strait is the undisputed King of Country Music. It is for this reason alone that if someone were to own only one country music album, George Strait’s “5(1) Number Ones” would be the one to own. It’s also the “greatest” of “greatest hits” albums.

Tracks
Disc 1
1. I Hate Everything
2. Fool Hearted Memory
3. A Fire I Can’t Put Out
4. You Look So Good In Love
5. Right Or Wrong
6. Let’s Fall To Pieces Together
7. Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
8. The Chair
9. Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her
10. It Ain’t Cool To Be Crazy About You
11. Ocean Front Property
12. All My Ex’s Live In Texas
13. Am I Blue
14. Famous Last Words Of A Fool
15. Baby Blue
16. If You Ain’t Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’)
17. Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye
18. What’s Goin’ On In Your World
19. Ace In The Hole
20. Love Without End, Amen
21. I’ve Come To Expect It From You
22. If I Know Me
23. You Know Me Better Than That
24. The Chill Of An Early Fall
25. So Much Like My Dad
26. I Cross My Heart

Disc 2
1. Heartland
2. Easy Come, Easy Go
3. I’d Like To Have That One Back
4. The Man In Love With You
5. The Big One
6. You Can’t Make A Heart Love Somebody
7. Lead On
8. Check Yes Or No
9. I Know She Still Loves Me
10. Blue Clear Sky
11. Carried Away
12. I Can Still Make Cheyenne
13. One Night At A Time
14. Carrying Your Love With Me
15. Today My World Slipped Away
16. Round About Way
17. I Just Want To Dance With You
18. True
19. We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This
20. Write This Down
21. The Best Day
22. Go On
23. Run
24. Living And Living Well
25. She’ll Leave You With A Smile

Released by MCA Records Nashville
November 2004.




Recommended: Yes