Ronnie Milsap – The Best of (Craft Recordings)

Collecting a dozen crossover hits that paved the way for modern country

There’s a warmth to these tracks that make them perfect for vinyl.  Craft Recordings has just issued The Best of for the first time on LP – taking twelve of Ronnie Milsap’s biggest songs, both on the country and pop charts, and putting them on one collection.  

The set covers a span, during the late Seventies and early Eighties, where the Robbinsville, NC native was like a mad scientist in the lab, concocting songs that bridged the gap between country and pop.  

The set opens with the poignant “Smoky Mountain Rain” – I love the way the strings and piano echo as he sings “keeps on falling” – a brilliant bit of production wizardry. “I Wouldn’t Have Missed it For the World” has an excellent, sing-a-long chorus, while the bluesy “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me” shows off Milsap’s deep vocals, and features an uncanny sax solo.

“Stranger in My House” was a giant leap forward.  The rock beat and prominent electric guitar may have shied some country stations from playing it, but the pop stations loved it.  “Any Day Now” was a fairly faithful cover of the Chuck Jackson soul song from the 60’s, while “Lost in the Fifties Tonight” was an excellent, slow burner, which gives a nod to “In the Still of the Night.”  

The string-laden “It Was Almost Like a Song” was an excellent ballad, while  “Don’t You Know How Much I Love You” is downright ebullient, and has a similar chord progression to “Raining in My Heart” by Buddy Holly.   “A Woman in Love,” the latest thing here (from 1989) sounded like so much of the country that emerged in the 90’s.  Marvel at that fat bassline on “He Got You.”  The set ends with the tender “Show Her” which could pass for a metal power ballad.  

This is, by no means, a complete collection.  Rather, The Best of truly lives up to it’s name – grabbing the high points of a pioneer in popular music.  —Tony Peters