John Anderson: Ultimate Hits

Album Review

John Anderson's 2004 release on Koch is called Ultimate Hits, which gives the impression that it's a reissue of his big hits from the '80s and '90s. While the titles of the songs are indeed familiar — "Swingin'," "1959," "Straight Tequila Night," "Black Sheep," "Money in the Bank" — these are not the familiar hit versions. Instead, they are recently recorded new versions produced by Anderson and Joe E. Spivey, which will surely disappoint anybody looking for a concise collection of Anderson's biggest hits. That's the bad news. The good news is that these new versions are thoroughly enjoyable. While the production is perhaps a little too clean, the house band is strong and Anderson is in good voice, making this a fun revival of his hits. Perhaps it's not the first choice for casual fans, but listeners who want to hear Anderson revisit his best-known tunes will find this quite nice.