Randy Travis - The Very Best of Randy Travis

Randy Travis has a voice that exemplifies "country" music. With his powerful range, his melodic baritone caresses lyrics with a quality that is very rarely surpassed by any of his contemporaries or anyone who came after. That he's so hugely overlooked by the current mainstream community is a crying shame.

Randy Travis has a voice that comes from God. It seems obvious that he would infuse a tremendous amount of spirituality into his music, and it comes through even with love songs such as "Forever and Ever, Amen" and nostalgic pieces like "He Walked On The Water." For the last several years Travis has released true gospel discs, surprising all and sundry when the beautiful "Three Wooden Crosses" made it not only back to the country charts (for the first time in many years), but gave him his first ACM and CMA Awards ("Song of the Year") since 1990.

Why is such a grand singer been shut out of the mainstream and the charts? My guess is that, well, Randy Travis is simply "too country." The spirit of real country music simply drips from Randy Travis, too homely and too square to make it to the oil-slick Americana charts; too country for country. That may be why he turned to gospel recordings, which have garnered him several Dove, Grammy, and Christian Country awards.

But this disc reminds us of Randy's pure country roots, those lovely, simple tunes he has always done so well. While I'm sorry that my personal favorite, "1982," was skipped, it's still a good comprehensive overview of Travis's best, and a solid listen. From his first "Song of the Year," "On the Other Hand," to his most recent, there's something here for Randy Travis fans; and for anyone who hasn't yet heard that beautiful voice, it's a real treat, and a must-have.