There have been a few
Clint Black compilations -- an initial
Greatest Hits in 1996, a sequel in 2001, two identically titled
Super Hits with different track listings -- prior to 2003's
Ultimate Clint Black, but this is the first to take full stock of his ten-year stint at RCA Records. Appropriately, this was released at the end of that run, a few months before he released his first record on Equity, so it was perfectly timed to summarize his peak years as a popular recording artist. Does it do a good job? More or less, yes. It's a mixed blessing that it covers so much ground, since it does wind up giving a full portrait of his '90s stardom, but at the expense of his better, earlier harder country, as well as several country Top Ten singles. Nevertheless, this has the bulk of his biggest hits, from the timeless "Killin' Time" to the
Steve Wariner duet "Been There," making it a satisfying retrospective from one of the best new traditionalists of the '90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine