Robert Cray - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Robert Cray '2002

Tracks list

Tracklist:

[4:07] 01. Robert Cray - Smoking Gun
[4:19] 02. Robert Cray - Right Next Door (Because Of Me)
[4:06] 03. The Robert Cray Band - Bouncin Back
[3:57] 04. The Robert Cray Band - Dont You Even Care
[6:31] 05. The Robert Cray Band - Holdin On
[4:55] 06. The Robert Cray Band - These Things
[7:15] 07. The Robert Cray Band - I Was Warned
[5:17] 08. The Robert Cray Band - The One In The Middle
[4:28] 09. The Robert Cray Band - Some Pain, Some Shame
[3:36] 10. The Robert Cray Band - Youre Gonna Need Me

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ABOUT THE ALBUM
ABOUT THE ALBUM
1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
Total length: 00:48:25
Main artist: Robert Cray
Composer: Various Composers
Label: Island Def Jam
Genre: Blues/Country/Folk, Blues
© 2002 UMG Recordings, Inc.
â„— 2002 UMG Recordings, Inc.

Although long departed from Mercury Records, Robert Cray served as a co-compiler
on this discount-priced best-of, which reviews his career from 1986 to 1997 by
way of ten tracks drawn from seven albums. Maybe it was his influence that led
to the range of material, since a record company executive left to himself might
have been tempted to focus more on the earlier part of that period. For four
years, from the fall of 1986, when Smoking Gun emerged from Strong Persuader on
its way to a Top 40 placing, to the fall of 1990, when the gold-selling Midnight
Stroll was released, Cray managed to be both a wonderful soul singer, blues
guitarist, songwriter, and hitmaker. Thereafter, his record sales fell off. The
compilers argue in effect that there was no diminution of his talents, just his
popularity, which may be fair enough. But the best-of/greatest-hits compilation
is a relatively unforgiving form, and one cant help noting the absence of
recordings such as Dont Be Afraid of the Dark, Acting This Way, and The Forecast
(Calls for Pain) that made the charts, earned significant radio play, and/or
earned Grammy nominations or awards. Maybe the selected songs are the ten best
recorded performances by Cray on Mercury, but if so thats primarily in the
opinion of the compilers; other entities have thought otherwise. Nevertheless,
the album does contain Crays two signature songs, Smoking Gun and Right Next
Door (Because of Me), and his work is consistent enough that any discussion of
his best will find valid arguments on many sides. A neophyte on a limited budget
who is curious about Cray can get a good idea of what his music sounds like by
buying this collection.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo



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