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Photographer: Tony Baker .
Gary Allan's live shows reveal him as a fiery mix of Merle Haggard and Tom Petty, and the best of his recorded work, even when it comes with a Nashville sheen, shows that he knows exactly where the lines of honky tonk and rock & roll cross on the highway. This succinct 11-track set collects singles and key album cuts from Allan's stay at MCA Nashville, and it's essentially a tightened-down version of 2007's Greatest Hits, but it feels sharper and more focused for having fewer songs. Allan's best outings are here, including "Nothing On But the Radio," "Tough Little Boys," and the powerful "Watching Airplanes," among others, making this a great introduction to a woefully unsung American artist. ~ Steve Leggett