AMG Review of Greatest Hits, Vol. 1

Thom Owens
All Music Guide

Greatest Hits contains the bulk of Tom T. Hall's biggest hits from the late '60s and early '70s, including all his Top 10 hits from that era -- "Ballad of Forty Dollars," "Homecoming," "A Week In A Country Jail," "Shoeshine Man," "Salute to a Switchblade," "The Year That Clayton Delaney Died," and "Me and Jesus" -- but the record only hints at the his talent as a songwriter. Many of his best songs are on Greatest Hits and the collection does avoid his tendency for cuteness (with only a couple of exceptions), making Greatest Hits a good introduction, even though it does bypass plenty of fine songs.