At Hist Best - 18 Greats

Fickle then as now, Music Row was hardly a nurturing environment for hardcore honkytonk traditionalists in the 1970s (even Lefty Frizzell hit some snags then, in his career twilight). Johnny Bush, Darrell McCall, Mickey Gilley and (especially) Moe Bandy gamely soldiered on preserving the tradition, and Gilley and Bandy benefitted from CBS/Sony's powerful aegis. It's a wonder that likeable tonker Mel Street, recording just under the Nashville radar for a succession of minor labels, achieved such success, especially in a (temporarily) unfashionable musical subgenre. Street sings straight up, straightforward unashamed honkytonk. Occasionally he whines a bit like Frizzell or Jones, occasionally he channels Bob Luman's raunchy rockabilly sound, but mainly he's just himself singing out of his natural tradition of lyin' cheatin' drinkin' songs, pure country tonk.GREATEST HITS (Deluxe Records) remains the best overview and contains the essential, wicked "Lovin' on back streets." This Gusto compilation is a welcome supplement, bringing together minor singles, album tracks and some really excellent covers. "Heart over mind" receives nearly definitive treatment with very stylish Nashville fiddling, "Rub it in" is its usual goofily suggestive self and makes us wish Street had covered Billy Swan's "I can help." The collection's real keeper, however, is Street's dandy cover of Cal Smith's "I've found someone of my own."Gusto seem not to have remastered these tracks, but the period sound authentically evokes its era (think car radios and eight-track tapes). In the bewildering assortment of Street compilations which overlap and duplicate one another this release contains a maximum of original material and is a unique standout.