Gold
In his heyday, fans went to Don Williams concerts like they went to church--quietly, reverently. They might approach this set, with its 16 No. 1 hits, with similar devotion. The skeletal, small-band country-folk sound frames his guileless baritone so delicately that one could make a case for Williams as one of the fathers of New Age music. But these singles, no matter how soft and simple, refuse to recede into the background. That's partly because of the sing-along melodies, but mostly because he conveys these lyrics--which could be artsy ("Good Ole Boys Like Me") or brazenly direct even by Nashville standards ("You're My Best Friend")--with irresistible warmth, intimacy, and empathy. Forty songs may add up to more time than you care to spend in church in one sitting, but if you have this, you'll never need another Williams CD.--John Morthland