Tex Ritter - Vintage Collections (1997)

This is Capitol's second try at a Tex Ritter collection, and the second time they've blown it. Bear Family's 28-song High Noon disc, though not perfect, is far preferable to this 15-song collection, which leaves out so many key songs that it would be an embarrassment if not for the two previously unreleased cuts here, "I Was Out of My Mind" and "Waitin' and a-Worryin'," both of which are better than some of the previously released stuff here. The main problem is that the producers have focused too much on Ritter's pop songs ("There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder," "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You") and a handful of non-hits, and left out his grittier and personal songs ("Rye Whiskey," etc.), ignoring large chunks of his career in the process. It's not even that what's here is bad as music ("Have I Told You Lately That I Loved You" is superb) -- just so inadequate in scope as to be almost useless. And why the makers chose to use one of Ritter's re-recordings of "High Noon," rather than the 1952 original, is anyone's guess. One good thing is that there is so little overlap with the Bear Family High Noon disc that this one makes a good supplement to it. For a real introduction, get the Bear Family disc. (And what's with the 15 songs here, when the others in the series have 20 songs?) © Bruce Eder