Eco-friendly expansion of stellar career overview

Several of Legacy’s two-disc Essential releases have been upgraded with a third-disc and plastic-free eco-friendly packaging. Such is the case for the original 42-track 2007 issue of this set, augmented here with eight additional tunes on a third disc. Although disc three clocks in at only 26 minutes, it adds several tracks that, in retrospect, should have been included in the original line-up. Highlights of the newly added tunes include a live version of Jimmie Rodgers “T For Texas,” Jennings’ superb cover of the Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See,” the autobiographical 1981 hit “Shine,” the chart-topping cover of Little Richard’s “Lucille (You Won’t Do Your Daddy’s Will),” and the title track from the Highwaymen’s first album. This isn’t collector’s bait intended to lure fans into repurchasing the Essential set – all of the newly added tracks are (or have been) available on CD – it’s sweetener to a set that’s already quite sweet. The original two-disc version of this title provided a superb overview of Jennings’ career, with a deep focus on his most productive years at RCA. The first two discs are reproduced here verbatim from the original release, as is the booklet’s excellent liner notes, recording details and chart info; the eight new additions are detailed on the inside of the four-panel cardboard slipcase, along with four full-panel vintage photographs. At the same list price as the original two-disc version, this is a terrific upgrade to a terrific set. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]