42 Ultimate Hits

Disc 1
1	Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
2	Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
3	Reuben James
4	Something's Burning
5	Tell It All, Brother
6	Love Lifted Me
7	Lucille
8	Daytime Friends
9	Sweet Music Man
10	Every Time Two Fools Collide
11	Love Or Something Like It
12	Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight
13	The Gambler
14	All I Ever Need Is You
15	She Believes In Me
16	Til I Can Make It On My Own
17	You Decorated My Life
18	Coward Of The County
19	Don't fall In Love With A Dreamer
20	Love The World Away
21	Lady
Disc 2
1	What Are We Doin' In Love
2	I Don't Need You
3	Share Your Love With Me
4	Blaze Of Glory
5	Through The Years
6	Love Will Turn You Around
7	A Love Song
8	We've Got Tonight
9	Scarlet Fever
10	Islands In The Stream
11	Buried Treasure
12	Crazy
13	Morning Desire
14	Make No Mistake, She's Mine
15	Twenty Years Ago
16	The Vows Go Unbroken
17	The Greatest
18	Buy Me A Rose
19	It's A Beautiful Life
20	My World Is Over
21	We're All The Same

Barnes & Noble

Kenny Rogers has amassed his fair share of hits -- enough, in fact, to fill two CDs with more than three decades of chart history. It all begins with his 1968 breakout as lead singer in the First Edition, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," the Mickey Newbury–penned tune that is a bit of a send-up of the whole psychedelic era, both in terms of the consciously pseudo-hip lyrics and the Beatlesque touches of backwards guitars. The First Edition, which was soon billed as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, did go on to make some good records, and this collection gives them ample play: "Reuben James," Mel Tillis's sardonic "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town," and the intense stomper "Something's Burning" all have their merits and messages. After launching his solo career, Rogers became one of the top-selling country artists of all time, then branched out into pop before ultimately returning to country again, always successful no matter the style. His meal tickets are strong story-songs, such as the venerable "The Gambler" and "Coward of the County," and poignant love songs on the order of Lionel Richie's "Lady" and the gentle rocker "She Believes In Me." He also scored big with several powerful duets that pair him with Dottie West (including "All I Need Is You"), Kim Carnes, Sheena Easton, Dolly Parton (the Gibb brothers' fanciful "Islands in the Stream"), Alison Krauss (the haunting pop-country entreaty, "Buy Me a Rose"), and Ronnie Milsap ("Make No Mistake, She's Mine"). Throughout his career, Kenny Rogers has struck a big chord with the public, and that note continues to resonate on this action-packed collection. David McGee

All Music Guide

Kenny Rogers compilations tend to drift in and out of print, yet in a sense it doesn't matter much, because most featured most of the big hits. However, very few contained them all and, as of 2004, the only collection in print that contained all his big hits, from the First Edition through the mid-'80s, was 1999's four-disc box set Through the Years, which was too exhaustive for all but dedicated Rogers fans. So, there was a need for a new, relatively concise collection that featured all the hits; hence Capitol's 42 Ultimate Hits, a double-disc set that spans Kenny's entire career, from the First Edition to two new tracks, including a duet with Whitney Duncan. There's not much missing -- a few First Edition singles, along with several post-Eyes That See in the Dark hits that weren't all that memorable, neither of which are missed -- and it could even be argued that it stretches a little bit too far into the present on its second disc, which loses its momentum halfway through. Nevertheless, these are minor complaints, since the bulk of the collection provides Kenny Rogers' biggest songs -- among them "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town," "Lucille," "Every Time Two Fools Collide," "The Gambler," "Coward of the County," "You Decorated My Life," "Lady," "Love Will Turn You Around," and "Islands in the Stream" -- in a chronological order and a listenable sequence. It may fall a little short of definitive, but it's still the best compilation on the market as of this writing. Stephen Thomas Erlewine