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Released 1995

RCA's 20-track, single-disc 1995 collection The Essential Ronnie Milsap doesn't live up to the billing of its title, largely because it bypasses a huge portion of his career -- namely, the '70s. This doesn't dent the number of hits on the collection, since Milsap was one of country's most successful hitmakers of all time, charting toward the top until well into the '90s, but it doesn't necessarily provide the most accurate reading of his career, because many of his best songs -- along with his purest country -- are simply not here, including "Pure Love," "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends," "Daydreams About Night Things," and "Smoky Mountain Rain," among others. To find those, turn to either the double-disc 40 #1 Hits or to the 2001 release RCA Country Legends. This disc concentrates on the poppier material and crossover hits, many of which are excellent, ranking among his best work: It's hard to deny that "He Got You," "Stranger in My House," and "Any Day Now" are not among the best smooth country-pop of the early '80s (or among the best soft rock, for that matter). Essential continues in that vein, pursuing it into the '90s as the productions got clearer and cleaner, but the hits only got a little smaller. For listeners that prefer that era, this is a terrific, even necessary, purchase. For those who want to follow the '70s-oriented RCA Country Legends, this is a good next purchase, although they may just be better off getting the double-disc set for a full-fledged, comprehensive overview. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

TRACKS

1. Stranger Things Have Happened
2. She Keeps the Home Fires Burning
3. Nobody Likes Sad Songs
4. Any Day Now
5. A Woman in Love
6. Cowboys and Clowns [From Bronco Billy]
7. Snap Your Fingers
8. He Got You
9. Where Do the Nights Go
10. Stranger in My House
11. All Is Fair in Love and War
12. Happy, Happy Birthday Baby
13. (There's) No Gettin' Over Me
14. Make No Mistake, She's Mine
15. How Do I Turn You On
16. I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World
17. Why Don't You Spend the Night
18. Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)
19. Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)
20. Turn That Radio On

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