After the last few single disc compilations on Roger Miller, it's great to have one that has over a dozen songs! It's almost a shame to see "Golden Hits" go out of print because it holds such sentimental value for me. I've owned it on 8-track, cassette, CD, as well as two different vinyl issues. That familiar blue, white and gold cover is something I'll never forget. But at least this current release sports the excellent photo from the cover of Miller's 1969 self-titled album (the one with "Me and Bobby McGee"). It's a beautiful package with a booklet containing several more photos and nice liner notes by Robyn Flans. The disc was produced by the meticulous Andy McKaie who compiled the 20 track set with Cary Mansfield. It's a solid collection that contains most of Miller's best known hits. Now, a lot of these songs are very short and there was certainly room to expand this set to 25 or even 30 tracks. However, after the 12 track "Golden Hits" and "Millenium Collection" discs and the 1997 11 track "The Hits", this is certainly a big improvement, quantity-wise. And since the two 1992 "best-of's" are out of print ("Country Tunesmith"/"King Of The Road"), this is your best bet for a single disc retrospective of classic Roger Miller. Some further selling points for the collection is that while the "King Of The Road" box set contains mono versions of most of the singles, the same songs are in stereo on this disc. While I'm a definite fan of mono, I believe Roger Miller's recordings sound much better in stereo. And while "Golden Hits" also contains his hits in stereo, this is definitely a considerable upgrade in mastering, resulting in greatly improved sound quality. Miller's 1967 hit "Walkin' In The Sunshine" is my all-time favorite song and up until now, I've only had the mono version on the box set. The stereo version is sonically superior and greatly enhances my enjoyment of the song. Another nice thing about this disc is the inclusion of two tracks that were not on the box set: Bobby Russell's "South" and Kenny Price's "Tomorrow Night In Baltimore". All the songs on this disc were either pop or country hits (most of them both) with the exception of "In The Summertime" (a 1964 re-recording of his RCA hit) and "The Last Word In Lonesome Is Me" which is one of his most revered compositions and was a gigantic hit for Eddy Arnold. All in all, 12 of Miller's 15 Billboard Hot 100 pop hits are on this set. Unfortunately, the three that didn't make it are also among his very best: "Heartbreak Hotel", "My Uncle Used To Love Me But She Died", and "Vance". Still, whether you're a longtime fan of Roger Miller who owns all of his stuff, or just looking for a solid overview of his career highlights, you won't be disappointed with this CD. I highly recommend it.

The only reason for not buying this album is if you intend to go for the box set. The three Roger Miller compilations currently available offer about the same value in terms of tracks per dollar. This particular one is a genuine 'Greatest Hits' album and you won't go wrong if you buy it.

Roger was a little bit Country, a little bit Folk, and a whole lot genius. He was a true modern balladeer and a great folk poet. The lines "Roses are red, violets are purple, sugar is sweet and so's maple surple" are just about perfect. He was hilariously funny, lovably roguish and musically gifted. Like many humorists, he suffered from the critics' attitude of not taking humor seriously. Listen to this collection and you'll learn just how great he really was.

The first thing you need to know is that your music library needs to have at least two Roger Miller CDs in it. First, you need to have a hits collection of his work from the Sixties. The hits collection is required to have "King of the Road," "Dang Me," "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd," "Do-Wacka-Do," and "England Swings." Almost all of the hits collections are solid on that score, as is this one. With 20 tracks this is an above average Roger Miller hits collection (I think the biggest one I have seen has 30 tracks) and it does have some very worthwhile tracks beyond the aforementioned short list of absolute necessities.

Obviously Roger Miller is remember for his humorous novelty songs, but he wrote some certified popular and country classics including "Invitation to the Blues," "That's the Way I Feel," Half a Mind," "Home," "The Last Word in Lonesome Is Me," and "Billy Bayou." Miller only recorded a few of these so you will not hear many of them on this album, but they do remind us that Miller was a very good songwriter. He played not only guitar but fiddle, piano, banjo, and drums. This album includes another novelty hit, "Chug-a-Lug," his original songs "Husbands & Wives" and nice covers of Bobby Russell's "Little Green Apples" and Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee."

However, in addition to an album like this one you need to have his Tony Award winning musical "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Connecting the dots between the two is easy. I mean, the only other person you could think of to write the songs for a musical based on a Mark Twain book would have to be Randy Newman. "Big River" won seven Tony Awards and two of those went to Miller, for Best Musical and Outstanding Score. One of the nice things about this particular "All Time Greatest Hits" collection is that you get a taste of "Big River" because the final track on the album, "River in the Rain," is from the musical.

What these songs prove is that there was always a brain (and a heart) behind all those funny little songs Miller sang in the Sixties, and it comes full flower in "Big River." But the evidence was always there if you paid attention. After all, "Trailers for sale or rent," is an opening line worthy of Dylan. Just believe me when I insist that you need to have two Roger Miller albums in your music library. There is just no way you are going to be disappointed with Roger Miller's best work.

Roger Miller first made his mark as a songwriter. Andy Williams recorded his song, In the summertime (you can hear Roger's own version on this collection). As a singer, his earliest successes were with novelty songs like Dang me, Do-wacka-do and Chug-a-lug. Perhaps his most memorable novelty song was You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

When Roger started writing more serious songs, he really hit the jackpot. The song he is best remembered for, King of the road, describes a man who needs somewhere to sleep overnight. He hasn't got any money but he is willing to do two hours' work to pay for his bed. Another of his classic songs, England swings, describes his image of London as he saw it in the sixties. I don't think London was really as he describes it even then but it's a great song. Walking in the sunshine is another joyful song.

Contrast those songs with Last word in lonesome is me (title is self-explanatory) and Husbands and wives (about marital problems) - two very sad songs.

Having been grateful to others who recorded his songs while he was struggling, Roger did his bit for those that followed. He helped Kris Kristofferson by being the first singer to record Me and Bobby McGee, a song that has since become a country standard but also made the pop charts when covered by Janis Joplin. He also recorded Little green apples, written by Bobby Russell.

Roger had five hits on the British pop charts (King of the road - a number one hit, Engine engine number nine, Kansas city star, England swings and Little green apples). He had an even greater number of hits on the American pop charts and more still on the country charts.

This compilation is the best single CD of Roger's music, containing all his essential hits.

This album is better than I remembered. I was not a country western fan in the late 70s and 80s, but I did have a Roger Miller album than used to get into the mix now and then. I remember liking it more than I expected so I ordered a new copy recently and was surprised at how much more I enjoy it now.