AMG Review of Gold

Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Often. That said, if you are an Oak Ridge Boys superfan, this might just be as close to heaven as one can get on earth. There are 35 cuts on these two discs spanning the years 1973-1988, the true glory years for the vocal quartet. Gold includes virtually every hit single and number one Billboard chart hit (there were 15 of them!) and an entire slew of number twos and threes. From "Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight" and "Elvira" to "Everyday" and "It Takes a Little Rain (To Make Love Grow)," the tracks fall like heavy rain. Also included in this batch is the beautiful "Juliet," written by John Hall and Larry Hoppen, it was a minor hit for the group in 1986, but is among the most gorgeous vocal performances the ORB ever put to tape. From the same year is the band's fine duet with Barbara Mandrell, "You Get to the Heart." This is a gem in remastered sound where too much of a good thing may be just enough.