Greatest Hits - From the Beginning

Over the course of his first four albums, Travis Tritt scored an astounding 19 hits on the American country chart, many of which went Top Five. Greatest Hits from the Beginning has the biggest of those hits and adds two new songs, serving not only as a capstone to Tritt’s early success but as a fine introduction to country music’s best contemporary soul singer. While Tritt is beloved for rollicking country sing-alongs like “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’,” “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares),” and “Ten Feet Tall & Bulletproof,” his heart is equally invested in Chicago blues, Southern rock, and R&B. Even when he sings delicate ballads like “Help Me Hold On” and “Foolish Pride,” his voice fills every inch of the song with a vulnerable masculinity reminiscent of David Ruffin or Percy Sledge. Of all his ballads, Tritt’s best is the magnificent “Tell Me I Was Dreaming,” which adds a hint of Beatles to the soul-country formula. Of the new songs, “Sometimes She Forgets” is outstanding. With Curtis Mayfield–esque flourishes of flamenco guitar, Tritt sinks his teeth into Steve Earle’s wounded love song, leaving listeners wishing the pair would collaborate more often.