Brooks & Dunn - Greatest Hits Collection 2
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Free Music Notes for Greatest Hits Collection 2
Free Music Review: Canny country-rock hits and convincing ballads
Hit: 4 Stars
This dynamic duo's second volume of hits features a truly generous seventeen tracks, including a trio of new cuts that will entice fans that already have all the albums. The song list picks up in 1998, right where their first hits collection left off, and carries through to 2004. Though their commercial fortunes waned slightly in the middle of this period, the cherry-picking of hits evens things out nicely.
The balance of Ronnie Dunn's deep-well vocals and Kix Brooks' exuberant guitar playing and backup singing has kept this pair on the charts throughout their career, and this collection shows off why. This surely isn't your grandfather's country music - it's heavily influenced by Nashville's pop and rock crossover, with thumping drums and ringing electric guitars, but as modern country, it's about as good as it gets - and that's good!
A few of the slower tunes, like the string-laden "The Long Goodbye," frame remorse with soft-focus mellow-rock production, but Dunn's soulful ballad singing is still exquisite. The tight harmonies of "I Can't Get Over You" strain with emotional agony, and the stark solo vocal of "A Man This Lonely" is gripping. Even better is the old-school torch ballad, "I'll Never Forgive My Heart," with piano, fiddle and weeping steel, and an incredible cover of Roger Miller's "Husbands and Wives."
As fine as this duo takes it down-tempo, it's mid-tempo and upbeat songs like "How Long Gone," "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl," and the self-penned "Only in America" whose hooks will stick in your head for days. These songs exemplify the brilliant marriage of country sentiment with power-pop production - the guitars of "Only in America" combine a wicked electric riff with strumming acoustics to induce foot-tapping as the chorus has you singing along.
Of the three new tracks, "A Man This Lonely" is the most essential addition to the duo's canon - a beautifully realized Dunn-sung ballad. The opening "That's What It's All About" is sure to appeal to young parents with its in-the-moment self-realization, and the Kix Brooks-sung "Independent Trucker" is a good slice of honky-tonk road music. All three are nice additions for fans and a bonus for those just getting familiar via this hits collection.
Free Music Review: Very superb album of their hits!
Hit: 4 Stars
I just heard Brooks & Dunn's 2nd greatest hits collection. This album's very well done. All three of the new songs are nice. I got this album for Ain't Nothing Bout You, because that song's my favorite one and the standout of all the hits they had during this period. Very catchy song and I love the bridges and clean live sound. Sometimes it has that hip-hop feel to it in that same country song in terms of the beats. I noticed the weaknesses in the '98 and '99 songs as the duo's songs they produced with Don Cook and Scott Hendricks sounded dull. The ballads sounded bland, surprisingly boring. This was really when their album sales slipped in that period. The switch to Mark Wright showed the group at their strongest level with songs like Ain't, Only In America, Red Dirt Road, You Can't Take the Honky Tonk, the Latin-flavored My Heart Is Lost to You, the three new songs and others. Final song, South of Santa Fe, has that Southwestern feel to it, but reminds me a little of the '70s rock of the Eagles. It's another experimental chance that they took with this song, far different from the assembly line similarities of Nashville country songs. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have really come a long way since Brand New Man in 1991 and they continue to turn out consistently strong music every time. This collection proves that!Free Music Review: STARVING ARTISTS UNHERALDED IN THEIR OWN TIME
Hit: 4 Stars
For some reason Brooks & Dunn have never appealed to me. Tales of their antics and such useful data as Kix' and Ronnie's favorite flavor of ice cream never interested me and I thought the world could safely forget these things. However, as with their first greatest hits collection, THE GREATEST HITS COLLECTION II demonstrates that this duo has put out a great number of good songs. Typically, when many of these songs were riding high on the country charts I couldn't have cared less. It is only now in retrospect that I have to give them their due.
Of the new songs on the CD, I bypass "That's What It's All About" and go to "Independent Trucker". Since "40 Days On The Road" I've always liked the odd song about truckers here and there.
Still, I really don't care about Kix' boot size or what kind of tree Ronnie would choose to be.
Free Music Review: impressive/holds its own
Hit: 4 Stars
While this collection doesn't quite hold up to the duo's first greatest hits compilation, it is still good. Hits like "How Long Gone," "The Long Goodbye," and "South of Santa Fe" are good choices for this album, which pretty much holds its own. If you are a fan of Brooks & Dunn, odds are you will like this album. The duo is still good after all these years, and I hope whey will continue for many more.Free Music Review: A Solid Brooks N Dunn Hit Collection
Hit: 4 Stars
Mainly being the best country music duo in history,this hit set falls short of the original.Since the first hit package their total album sales have slipped a little.But they still make real good hits.17 songs is plenty for this cd,but if you buy it at Wal-mart you get 3 exclusive bonus songs."Red Dirt Road","My Maria","Only In America".All three being (live).