Randy Travis
was country music's first multi-platinum selling artist when the
Storms of Life
album arrived in 1985 and almost single-handedly put the term "New Traditionalist" on the
country
music map. In retrospect, that marketing label was tailor-made for
Travis
, whose calm, comfortable singing style and no cowboy circus frills belied the fact that his recordings were carefully done to stand outside the industry's passing fads, which makes this two-disc career overview seem both timely and sturdy. The essentials are here, including a quartet of hits from
,
"On the Other Hand,"
"1982,"
"Diggin' Up Bones,"
and
"No Place Like Home,"
as well as later hits like 1994's
"Whisper to Me,"
and it affords another look at
, whose unassuming, dignified and yes, traditional approach to
music makes him still seem relevant and current even after all these years. ~ Steve Leggett