19 Hot Country Requests contains a selection of early-'80s mainstream country hits recorded by a variety of Columbia and Epic artists, including
Merle Haggard ("Going Where the Lonely Go"),
Mickey Gilley ("Talk to Me"),
Willie Nelson ("Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning"),
George Jones ("I Always Get Lucky with You"),
Ricky Skaggs ("Highway 40 Blues"),
David Allan Coe ("Ride"),
Janie Fricke ("He's a Heartache (Looking for a Place to Happen)"),
Ronnie McDowell ("You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation") and a duet by
Haggard &
Nelson ("Pancho & Lefty"). The track selection is a little uneven and there are a few dull moments, but on the whole, it's a very entertaining disc with a handful of classic songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine