Icon: The Distance

Photographer: Jimmy Steinfeldt.
The titles in the budget-priced Icon series issued by Universal Music Group are meant to be representative examples of individual artist or group careers packaged as no-frills collections for those seeking compilations that are, if not definitive, at least representative. Despite the fact that the Billy Ray Cyrus volume is culled (mostly) from three albums does appear to succeed in providing that sample. Five of the dozen cuts here are taken from his debut offering, Some Gave All from 1992, including the smash "Achy Breaky Heart" and subsequent singles from that album, including the title track and "She's Not Cryin' Anymore." The single "In the Heart of a Woman" and "Words by Heart" are collected from 1993's It Won't Be the Last, and the remainder are from 1996's Trail of Tears, including his cover of "Harper Valley P.T.A." and the album cuts "Three Little Words" and "Truth Is I Lied." ~ Thom Jurek