So Far So Good Like: The Best of John Spillane compiles 16 of the Irish singer/songwriter's best songs from his six solo albums to date. It's a well-balanced compilation that includes at least a couple songs from each of his albums: The Wells of the World (1997), Will We Be Brilliant or What? (2002),
Hey Dreamer (2005), The Gaelic Hit Factory (2006),
My Dark Rosaleen & the Island of Dreams (2008), and
Irish Songs We Learned at School (2008). His first two albums are most heavily represented with three songs from The Wells of the World ("Passage West," "Johnny Don't Go to Ballincollig," "Everything's Turning to Gold Cathy") and four songs from Will We Be Brilliant or What? ("The Dance of the Cherry Tree," "All the Ways You Wander," "Will We Be Brilliant or What?," "Magic Nights in the Lobby Bar"). In addition, there's a non-album inclusion from 2007, "Lovers Leap." Otherwise, there's nothing on
So Far So Good, Like that can't be found on his albums. Fans might want this album all the same, for it's a pleasure to hear all of these album highlights sequenced in succession. The compilation starts non-chronologically with a mix of material from his first and second albums, plus the aforementioned non-album inclusion, before progressing chronologically from "Johnny Don't Go to Ballincollig" onward. Spillane's one and only best-of compilation to date,
So Far So Good Like is an ideal entry point for listeners eager to explore the many highlights of singer/songwriter's solo catalog. ~ Jason Birchmeier