Chris Isaak - Best of Chris Isaak [CD]

If you were asked to describe California singer/songwriter Chris Isaak in one word, that word would probably be consistent. From one release to the next, Isaak hasn't deviated much from his Roy Orbison-meets-Elvis croon and simplistic songwriting, and that's a good thing. When you hear a Chris Isaak song on the radio, you know right away who's singing.

Best Of Chris Isaak lives up to it's title. Every song on the collection is a winner. From the melodically haunting "Wicked Game," a big hit for Isaak in the early '90s, to a rock solid cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me," the disc has enough going on to keep the listener engaged throughout. Isaak doesn't just do a note-for-note rendition of the latter, he covers it in a fresh coat of paint. A cover of Roy Orbison's "Only The Lonely" sounds as if it were written with Isaak in mind. The singer gets inside the song and makes it his own.

Isaak has never been a huge artist, but he has written and recorded some great material over the years. The folk production on "Somebody's Crying" is reminiscent of bands like The Byrds and Bread. Isaak's lonesome moan drives the track straight into the listener's skull like a hammer driving a nail into wood. "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" marries a funky guitar riff to an arrangement that owes a lot to the Doors. Isaak channels the ghost of Jim Morrison on the song as he shreds his vocal chords to bits. "San Francisco Days" pays tribute to the seaside city and the girl Isaak loves who just happens to live there.

To give fans a little something extra, Isaak includes four previously unreleased tracks: a laid-back acoustic version of "Forever Blue," the aforementioned Cheap Trick cover, and two new songs. The first of the new cuts "King Without A Castle" drags the classic Luther Perkins rockabilly style into the 21st Century. A chugging beat complements Isaak's warm toned vocals, which have a mysterious quality to them. "Let's Have A Party" is a full-on rock and roll number. Isaak and his band rock out as the singer tells his soon to be ex that they should have a big blowout bash before they call it quits.

Consistency often translates into longevity in the music business, and Chris Isaak is enjoying a lengthy career that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Best Of Chris Isaak is a great retrospective from an artist who is often underrated and overlooked.

By Todd Sterling