For those musing into J.J. Cale for the first time, this is the first CD to purchase. A concise overview, "Special Edition," is available at a lesser price, but the sound suffers. The most comprehensive compilation, "Anyway The Wind Blows," is also available, as are standard versions of Cale's entire catalog. All said and done, "Very Best" is the recommended starting point with J.J. Cale.

No ordinary pop singer, John Not-Associated-With-The-Velvet-Undeground Cale of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is something of an acquired taste. He has maintained a solid cult following for forty years, but most people probably associate "After Midnight", "I'll Make Love To You Anytime" and "Cocaine" with Eric Clapton, "They Call Me The Breeze" with Lynyrd Skynyrd or Johnny Cash, and "Cajun Moon" with Randy Crawford, rather than with Cale.

Here they are, though, played and sung by Cale himself in his (very!) laid-back style which emphasises the songs and their rhythm over fancy solos.

J.J. Cale is an idiosyncratic vocalist, and some people may be turned off by his singing voice, or lack thereof, but Cale's loping sense of rhythm and shuffling boogie patterns became a blueprint for the adult-oriented roots-rock of men like Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, and if you are into that kind of music you really owe it to yourself to at least give Cale a chance. You might come away preferring Clapton's covers over Cale's originals, but then again you might not.

Me? I'll take Cale's "Cocaine" and "I'll Make Love To You Anytime" and Clapton's "After Midnight". But one thing is for sure: J.J. Cale grows on you.

J.J. Cale is one of those underrated artists, whose recordings are most appreciated by other musicians. Eric Clapton and Dire Straits are direct evidence of platinum selling artists love for the down home bluesy guitar grooves of J.J. Cale. The man wrote two of the most appreciated modern day blues rock songs, "Cocaine," and "After Midnight." What's interesting is hearing his original versions. They are more laid back and have a groove that cannot be easily replicated.

I find myself embracing J.J. Cale's versions of his tracks the most. He reminds me of Johnny Cash in a way. He is so real and raw in his recordings. This is music that warms the soul and invokes a certain comfort. Like other artists who have been covered and sampled to death, J.J. Cale stands above the heap of commercialism in music. He is a true artist. An Oklahoma road warrior. There are other examples, including a band called Cymande - on the album renegades of funk, where the power of hearing the true original voice of an artists' music is always a more authentic listening experience. This best of collection is highly recommended. I hope J.J. Cale knows that he is a true original in American music.

JJ Cale is a songwriter best known for having his works covered by other artists like Eric Clapton, Deep Purple and Lynyrd Skynyrd. While I don't generally favor 'best of' albums prefering to dig into an artists body of work, this one stands as an exception. It's a wonderful introduction to the world of JJ Cale with his layed back bluesy guitar sound and country-like sensabilities.

An excellent look into the world of JJ Cale. Highly recommended.

This is must own album for lovers of blues/rock. JJ Cale's music reached other artists including Lynrd Skynrd ("Call Me The Breeze") and Eric Clapton ("Cocaine" and "After Midnight"). It is laid back and smooth as glass blues at it's best. Cale is a master craftsman though he may be too modest to admit it.