AMG Review of Very Best of Willie Nelson

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Spanning two discs and 30 songs, The Very Best of Willie Nelson isn't as sublime as Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be), which came close to capturing the essence of Willie Nelson's Columbia recordings in 20 tracks. The Very Best covers more ground and, technically, it has more charting hits, but it isn't as far-reaching and diverse as Greatest Hits, which gave equal ground to country, western swing, folk, and pop. This collection tends toward obvious choices, emphasizing covers of pop songs instead of his more obscure choices or original material. Consequentially, it isn't the most representative collection possible, but it will satisfy many casual fans who want Nelson's late-'70s and '80s hits and songs that sound like them.