BEST OF/20TH CENTURY

Personnel includes: George Strait (vocals). Producers include: Jimmy Bowen, George Strait, Tony Brown, Ray Baker. Compilaton producers: Dave Weigand, Andy McKaie. Recorded between 1983 and 1993. Includes liner notes by Paul Kingsbury. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of MCA's "20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection" series. Liner Note Author: Paul Kingsbury. Photographers: Tony Baker ; Mark Tucker . While this budget-priced entry in the 20TH CENTURY MASTERS series hardly scratches the surface of George Strait's country music career, it does include a multitude of highlights. Most of the compilation stresses Strait's romantic and even somewhat maudlin side, with "Baby's Gotten Good At Goodbye," "Famous Last Words," and "Love Without End, Amen" providing just some of the highlights. But the singer has a slyly witty side, too, represented by his massive hit "All My Ex's Live in Texas" and the truckin' "Ace in the Hole," which both serve to leaven the sentimentality of his regular material. He sounds most at home here on his gently swinging version of Tommy Collins' "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" which combines both his witty and sentimental facets, while the bittersweet "You Look So Good in Love" is a sure-fire tearjerker.