Clint Black - Ultimate Clint Black

Not Quite Ultimate, But A Strong Set

Clint Black arrived on the country charts in 1989, the same year Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, and Travis Tritt released debut albums. Black's Killin' Time initially established him as the biggest of the new stars, with hits like "A Better Man," "Nobody's Home," and the title track.

These songs showcased Black's clever wordplay amid fairly traditional honky tonk arrangements and a Haggardesque vocal style. While it wasn't long before Black was surpassed commercially by Brooks and Jackson, his music maintained a high standard during his RCA tenure that was highlighted by 29 top ten hits.

Black's two Greatest Hits volumes were both frustrating affairs whose new material - aside from the haunting chart-topper "Like The Rain" - was subpar. This chronologically arranged, 20-track collection concentrates on his biggest chart hits, including the lush "Loving Blind" and the heartbreaking "Where Are You Now" (number ones inexplicably left off those other sets).

The only non-single found here is the jazzy Bruce Hornsby duet "Dixie Lullaby." As it sounds a lot like the enclosed Steve Wariner pairing "Been There" (which it precedes), its selection is suspect. Had the compilers included "When I Said I Do" - Black's award winning, # 1 collaboration with wife Lisa Hartman - instead, this retrospective might have merited its Ultimate title. October 28, 2003

Great Songs...But Bad Business

All of the tracks on this CD are excellent and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't have Clint's previous CDs. That said, this is nothing other than attempt by RCA to milk as much cash out of Clint's music as they can since Clint chose not to renew his contract with them last year. This is in fact the second compilation of Clint Black's music that RCA has released within the last 10 months! (Super Hits was released earlier this year.) Buy this record if you don't have many of these songs on another CD or cassette. But if you already have most of this music and have a limited budget, you might want to wait until Febuary 2004 when Clint will release a brand new album.

Despite what other reviews may state, Clint Black had nothing to do with the release of this album. Even though Clint is no longer with RCA, the record company retains the right to the original recordings that Clint released while under contract with them. In other words, RCA can continue to release greatest hits compilations like this for years to come under as many different names they can think of and Clint Black can do nothing about it. October 28, 2003

Time for a new CD with new songs don't you think Clint?

I just don't see the need for this CD. October 2, 2003

... is not so "ultimate"

While "Ultimate Collection" finally gives us a compilation that includes "Loving Blind" and "Where are You Now", two classic Black tracks that for some bizarre reason didn't make either Greatest Hits (1996) or Greatest Hits II (2001), the "Ultimate Collection" omits too many key numbers and, with GH and GH II still in print, seems kind of unecessary. Of course the best way to go is to pick up all eight original releases (if you include the excellent "Looking for Christmas") but if your "Black budget" is restricted then I'd recommend springing for the 32 tracks on GH I & II over this latest compilation (which contains 20 tracks). A fair number of must have tracks from the two GH packages aren't included here including "Burn One Down", "Put Yourself in My Shoes" (and the alternate "blues" version found on GH II), "Life Gets Away", "No Time To Kill", the beautiful Black/Lisa Hartman Black duet "When I Said I Do", "One More Payment", "Nothing's News" and the '01 GH II only "Money or Love".

You really can't argue about any of the tracks here - winners all - but there's just too much missing if a compilation is all you're interested in. And following hot on the heals of GH II - there's been no release of new material in the interim - I just have to question the need. It seems like a last ditch effort by Black's old label to cash in on his back catalog now that he has formed his own label, "Equity Records".

Five stars for the material that IS present... but minus two for what's NOT! September 30, 2003

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