CCMusic.com

Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Dr. Hook & the Medicine show…many artists recognized the singular songwriting talent of Shel Silverstein and covered his songs. But no one signed on to the Silverstein plan with more fervor than Bobby Bare, who recorded hits and so many classic tracks with his years of Silverstein song interpretations. In fact, even after Shel started devoting most of his attention to children’s books and playwriting, he continued crafting songs especially for Bobby, who had become one of his closest friends as well as steadfast collaborators. In the ’70s and ’80s, Bobby recorded more than 100 Silverstein songs (!), and this is the first comprehensive collection to chronicle their incomparably fruitful partnership. The 128-page hardcover book here contains lyrics, discography and Bobby’s reminiscences of working with his friend Shel. The 8 CDs bring you 137 tracks, 25 of them previously unreleased. You’ll hear six complete albums, which also feature songs by other writers (thus the "plus" in the title of this release). And the edition of "Great American Saturday Night" that’s included here features three songs missing from the recent independent-label release. You’ll hear Bobby’s hit versions of "Sylvia’s Mother," "Daddy What If," "Marie Laveau," "Singin’ in the Kitchen," "Back Home in Huntsville Again," "Alimony," "The Winner," "Too Many Nights Alone," "Food Blues," Bobby’s takes on Guy Clark’s "Desperados Waiting for a Train," Ry Cooder’s "The Farmer Feeds Us All," Bob McDill’s "Song of the South" and more including tracks long adored as well as performances never heard before! Bear Family.