This early 'greatest hits' compilation, coming just seven years after Steve Earle's debut, came out during the time when his raging heroin addiction rendered him unable to perform. No doubt released as a way of sustaining interest in Earle during his downtime, the album suffers from having had only four albums from which to select tracks. After a strong opening with “Guitar Town”, it descends into run-of-the-mill country for its first half until the brilliant “Copperhead Road” heralds a significant boost in quality that continues through most of the remaining tracks, “The Rain Came Down” and “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied” in particular.
