Search - Billy Dean :: Very Best of

A great overview of Billy's Capitol Recordings from the 90s

James E. Bagley | Sanatoga, PA USA | 03/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lanky Billy Dean's 1990-98 Capitol/Liberty Records tenure had been previously anthologized with three skimpy ten-track sets (Greatest Hits, Love Songs, Certified Hits), all of which overlapped greatly and left off key hits. Fortunately, revived interest in Dean's music - thanks mainly to his current top ten Curb Records' hit "Let Them Be Little" - has prompted Capitol to finally assemble a decent retrospective, the aptly titled The Very Best Of Billy Dean.



This 17-track set includes all of Dean's top 40 country hits as well as his admirable rendition of "Yesterday" from the out of print 1995 cd Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles. It reminds how effective Dean's clear, folky baritone is at conveying sincerity, particularly on simple, matter of fact ballads like "Somewhere In My Broken Heart," "You Don't Count The Cost," and "Only The Wind." There are also plenty of uptempo gems to be found here, such as the nostalgic "Billy The Kid," the sassy "That Girl's Been Spying On Me," and a cover of Dave Mason's "We Just Disagree." But slow and poignant is what Dean does best, and in fact, better than most in modern country music.

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