Hit by a Train: The Best of Old 97's

Performer: Old 97's
Producer: Alan Wooley; Mike Phegley (Compilation)
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Old 97's: Rhett Miller (vocals, guitars); Murry Hammond (vocals, bass guitar); Ken Bethea (guitars); Philip Peeples (drums, percussion). Drawing solely from the first phase of the Old 97's career (1994-2001), HIT BY A TRAIN may disappoint fans looking for previously unreleased material, but it succeeds in tracing the Texas-bred alt-country band's history, from the twangy opener "Stoned" to the rollicking desert-rock duet "Four Leaf Clover" (featuring X's Exene Cervenka) to the power-pop gem "King of All the World." Closing with two FIGHT SONGS-era live tunes (the cheeky "Barrier Reef" and the wonderfully catchy "Nineteen"), this well-selected 18-track disc serves as an ideal introduction to the Old 97's, while setting the stage for both of Miller's pop-oriented solo albums and later material from the full ensemble.

Old '97s are one of the key bands from the second (post-Uncle Tupelo) wave of alt-country. The Dallas natives made several albums' worth of fine, twang-filled rock music before abruptly switching gears for 1999's FIGHT SONGS and 2001's SATELLITE RIDES, albums that owe more to Matthew Sweet than to Merle Haggard. The band returned to a rootsier sound on subsequent albums, although front man Rhett Miller's solo work, particularly 2005's THE BELIEVER, remained steeped in pop tradition.

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