Very Best Of Robbie Fulks CD

With his hot flatpicking, strong voice, extroverted showmanship, and barbed sense of humor, Fulks became a hero of the '90s alt-country underground. After a couple of albums for roots rock haven Bloodshot, Fulks made the leap to the majors for LET'S KILL SATURDAY NIGHT (not to be confused with the album of the same name by Fulks's talented pals the Five Chinese Brothers). After maverick Fulks's inevitable departure from said major, he gave Bloodshot the OK to fill the gaps in his discography with this collection of rarities (the album's title is typical of the musician's gallows humor).

It's a testament to Fulks's consistency as both writer and performer that nearly every song here stands right up alongside any of his "official" album cuts. The spot-on "Roots Rock Weirdoes" displays his well-aimed satire at its best. Despite his iconoclasm, Fulks's reverence for classic country is apparent. "May the Best Man Win" is the best song Buck Owens never wrote, while "I Just Want to Meet the Man" is a smartly penned cuckold's tale that wouldn't sound out of place on a vintage George Jones album. Don't view this as a batch of leftovers--it's a vital addition to Fulks's impressive catalog.

Includes liner notes by Robbie Fulks.

Personnel: Robbie Fulks (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Rob Gjersoe (vocals, guitar); Kelly Willis (vocals); Clinton Thompson, Randy Lee, Jim DeWan, Tuey Connell (guitar); Grant Tye (dobro); Greg Cahill (banjo); Al Murphy (fiddle); Joe Terry (piano); Brett Simons (upright bass); Dan Massey (drums).

Unknown Contributor Role: Nicholas Tremulis.

Personnel: Robbie Fulks (vocals, acoustic, electric & classical guitars); Kelly Willis (vocals); Jim DeWan (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Tuey Connell (guitar, electric banjo, background vocals); Robbie Gjersoe (guitar, background vocals); Randy Lee, D. Clinton Thompson (guitar); Tom Brumley, Marty Muse, Paul Carestia (pedal steel guitar); Greg Cahill (banjo); Grant Tye (dobro); Al Murphy (fiddle); Joe Terry (piano, background vocals); Lorne Rall (acoustic & electric basses); Lou Whitney (bass, background vocals); Bret Simons, Brian Hilligoss (acoustic bass); Jerry Eliason, Dallas Wayne, Brad Fordham (bass); Dan Massey (drums, doumbek); Bobby Lloyd Hicks (drums, background vocals); Lisa Pankratz (drums); Tim Miller (spoons); Laura Lee (loops).

Engineers include: Craig Williams, Rick Barnes, Joe Hayden.

Spin (2/00, p.108) - 8 out of 10 - "...America's most unjustly unsung singer/songwriter....In the best country tradition, his songs use simple language to tell complex stories, but Fulks can't resist freaking the form..."
Magnet (4-5/00, p.75) - "...The next chapter in [his] love/hate relationship with American music, genre exercises ranging from bluegrass and girl pop to indie rock and swing....Some so straight-faced they can almost pass for serious..."
CMJ (2/00, p.59) - "...Fulks is back to his old irreverant tricks...returning to the hokey jokey tone of his first 2 raucous Bloodshot discs...finding him bringing his wicked wit to bear on the twisted'n'twangy country love song: 'Sleepin On The Job Of Love,' 'Parallel Bars' and 'Love Ain't Nothin'..."
Dirty Linen (4-5/00, pp.64-5) - "...The disc offers ample evidence of Fulks' mastery of the 50s-60s style country play-on-words song....This wide-ranging collection is an apt introduction to the weird, wonderful country world of Robbie Fulks..."