Johnny Paycheck - 16 Biggest Hits
Johnny Paycheck's 1970s work for Epic is not nearly as consistent or compelling as hislandmark 1960s output, which still ranks among the country genre's highlights. Hooking up with producer Billy Sherrill, Paycheck split the decade between string-heavy Countrypolitan in the first half and Outlaw country in the second, and despite a few missteps, he was able to achieve success in both styles. The poignant but little-known "Love Is a Good Thing" and the uplifting "Someone to Give My Love To" prove that Paycheck could still handle a ballad with the best of them, while the two Outlaw recitations--"Colorado Cool-Aid" and "The Outlaw's Prayer"--are convincing, even if they are a bit hokey. And who knows why "Take This Job and Shove It" is unfairly dismissed as novelty when it remains a classic country statement?--Marc Greilsamer