John Anderson is a relatively minor figure in the history of country music, but he cut some great songs in his prime. He possessed a unique, rough-hewn voice that helped make "Swingin'" one of the most memorable and popular songs of 1983. Essentially a novelty, "Swingin'" celebrated a traditional country lifestyle that was all but forgotten by those urban cowboy days. Sure, the song got to be annoying as hell after awhile, but it was no "Achy Breaky Heart." Anderson's Greatest Hits (Warner Brothers, 1984) has "Swingin'," of course, but its real treasures are songs like "I'm Just An Old Lump Of Coal," "Black Sheep," "She Just Started Liking Cheating Songs," and the poignant "Wild And Blue," each one furthering the traditions of honky tonk music. Warner Brothers, however, has never issued a longer, more deluxe "CD era" collection of Anderson's best material. And they really should....

John Anderson's career didn't end after "Swingin'," though my interest in it did. Anderson subsequently produced enough hits for Warner Brothers to issue Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in 1990. Then, after a long dry spell during which he hopscotched from MCA to Capitol to RCA, Anderson resurfaced on BNA Records in the 1990's as a chart topper redux. These years are chronicled on that label's The Essential John Anderson (1998).

Following this second flush phase of his career, Anderson cut records for Mercury and Columbia, finally accomplishing an impressive clean sweep of the major record labels (plus a few minor ones) before his star faded completely. Be aware that during his far-flung sojourns he cut numerous new versions of his wonderful old Warner Brothers hits. This time-honored Nashville tradition of self-cannibalism produced some perfectly serviceable renditions of his old favorites (for instance, Audium's Anthology, 2002), but I recommend you insist on the original recordings. [top of page]