Number One Hits (Curb, 2010)

Greatest hits type collections are nothing new for Tim McGraw. This is McGraw's fourth such release, compared to 10 studio CDs. One suspects that McGraw was about as happy with this release - here, the hook is that it only contains chart toppers - as he was with "Greatest Hits 3" from 2008. If you don't remember, he was none too happy with his record label and went public about it quite vehemently because he wanted to release a new studio effort, not another greatest hits package.

Efforts such as this only tend to cheapen the artist's stature. This does nothing for McGraw's reputation because the material is already out there. Chances are if you are any kind of fan, you already have these songs anyway. And it's not like these collections are gong to sell all that well any more either. So, what's the point?

There's no effort to explain McGraw's body of work through a booklet or a definitive commentary. Nope. There are four pictures of McGraw in the booklet along with the barebones information about the songs.

The only new song of the 24 is the closing track, Felt Good On My Lips. (That is unless you want to count Indian Outlaw (Dance Mix)). Apparently feeling the pressure, the cut also hit number one. Penned by the Warren Brothers and Jim and Brett Beavers,Lips rocks a good bit more than McGraw typically does with guitars and electronics and is not worth the price of admission.

With McGraw's very strong "Southern Voice" out in 2009 as his last studio effort, wait until his next studio album and bypass any more greatest hits packages from Curb.