Latest Greatest Straitest Hits (MCA, 2000)

The old Top 40 radio station slogan "And the hits just keep on comin...'" could be George Strait's motto as well. He churns them out so quickly that he'll be ready for another box set soon. Strait has something else in common with old radio. If you don't like a song, wait a minute - the next one will be very different. Strait can't write tunes, but he sure finds good ones to sing.

This album contains a generous 15 cuts, and leaves out a number of recent biggies at that. But it's one of the new songs that is really getting this album attention. We're talking not about current hit "The Best Day" but rather "Murder on Music Row", the duet with Alan Jackson. Classic duets require a sharper contrast between the two voices than you get here, and the song itself is slightly overrated (ditties about the death of country music have been around since the 50's) but this is a classic event. And it is an act of courage for Strait and Jackson to bite the hand that feeds them. As for the other 13 hits, if you don't know by now what George Strait is about, it's time to learn.