Mickey Gilley - 16 Biggest Hits - Music & Performance - CD

The title of Epic/Legacy's 16 Biggest Hits is slightly misleading -- not because the collection doesn't contain big hits, but because there's really 17 songs on this collection, with the last cut a bonus track on the CD only. This doesn't really matter, since it doesn't really effect the tenor and purpose of the collection, which is to serve up 16/17 of Mickey Gilley's biggest hits for Playboy/Epic from the '70s and early '80s. Of course, this was done very effectively with the definitive Ten Years of Hits in 1984, and this collection cribs heavily from that two-LP/single-disc set, sharing no less than 15 songs with that previous collection. This does have the advantage of chronological sequencing -- something that helps Gilley more than some other artists, since he shifted toward slicker material as his career rolled on and it's nice to hear the purer stuff grouped together -- along with better sound. However, as a representation of his best, Ten Years of Hits edges out this set because it captures his prime better; the two songs on 16 Biggest Hits not on Ten Years -- "Fool for Your Love" and "Paradise Tonight" -- are from 1983 and aren't among his best, while everything, even the sappy stuff, on Ten Years of Hits showcases Gilley at his best. That said, this still has more than enough of his best to make it worthwhile, especially if it's found at a reasonable price. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide