Nashville!

By Contributing Author Matthew J. Rogers

The strange thing about a “greatest hits” type of album is that it puts fans in the position of questioning whether or not it’s logical to purchase something that they more than likely already have. Of course fans want to support their favorite artists – but Chris LeDoux devotees have got to be wondering just how much more of the same thing they’re expected to support.

Sure, Classic Chris LeDoux (2008) offers a bonus DVD, but the tracks are merely a rearranged set list of past compilations, like The Ultimate Collection (2006), Anthology Volume I (2005), and Chris LeDoux: Greatest Hits (1999). And while LeDoux’s music is as authentic as his cowboy persona, it doesn’t change the fact that he was a stranger on the charts. In fact, his only Top 10 single was his duet with Garth Brooks, “Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy,” and it is certainly arguable that Brooks’ resounding popularity was ultimately the catalyst that propelled the song to those heights.

So how are consumers outside of the LeDoux circle to be persuaded to buy an album chockfull of songs they’ve probably never heard, or even heard of? Because let’s face it, his longtime supporters have already gotten this material umpteen times over. Yes, “Five Dollar Fine” remains a classic bar anthem, his rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Tougher Than the Rest” continues to do the original all the justice in the world, and “Cadillac Ranch” is still a knee slappin’, boot tappin’ hell-of-a-time. But good records don’t get better the more times you buy them.