The Essential Marty Robbins

Disc 1
1	I'll Go on Alone 2:41
2	I Couldn't Keep from Crying 2:47
3	That's All Right 2:35
4	I Can't Quit (I've Gone Too Far) 2:26
5	Singing the Blues 2:27
6	Mister Teardrop 2:48
7	Knee Deep in the Blues 2:10
8	A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation) / Ray Conniff 2:30
9	The Story of My Life / Ray Conniff 2:34
10	She Was Only Seventeen (He Was One Year More) / Ray Conniff 2:23
11	Just Married / Ray Conniff 2:08
12	Stairway of Love / Ray Conniff 2:10
13	Ain't I the Lucky One / Ray Conniff 2:16
14	The Hanging Tree 2:52
15	El Paso 4:40
16	Big Iron 3:58
17	Ballad of the Alamo 3:41
18	Don't Worry 3:16
19	Devil Woman 2:54
20	Ruby Ann 1:59
Disc 2
1	Cigarettes and Coffee Blues 2:44
2	Begging to You 2:29
3	Ribbon of Darkness 2:32
4	The Cowboy in the Continental Suit 2:56
5	Faleena (From El Paso) 8:19
6	Tonight Carmen 2:46
7	The Shoe Goes on the Other Foot Tonight 2:02
8	I Walk Alone 3:19
9	You Gave Me a Mountain 4:05
10	My Woman, My Woman, My Wife 3:33
11	This Much a Man 2:58
12	Walking Piece of Heaven 3:06
13	Love Me 4:21
14	El Paso City 4:17
15	Among My Souvenirs 2:35
16	I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) 2:25
17	Don't Let Me Touch You 2:51
18	Return to Me 2:55
19	Some Memories Just Won't Die 3:21
20	Honkytonk Man 2:47

Barnes & Noble

Another Marty Robbins anthology, another reason to marvel anew at the breadth, depth, and integrity of "Mister Teardrop" 's overwhelming artistry. The 40 tracks on these two CDs trace the arc of Robbins's 30-year recording career, largely on the Columbia label (save for a brief fling with MCA in the early '70s, also represented here). He penned more than a few western classics -- including the towering "El Paso" and its underappreciated -- though chart-topping -- sequel, "El Paso City," but Robbins never limited himself to one genre, effortlessly intertwining pop, country, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, traditional country, and blues with an enviable emotional commitment. It wasn't so much the high caliber of material he wrote or covered that set him apart, but rather the soulful and intelligent use he made of his beautiful, plaintive tenor voice to convey the sharpest lyrics with a potent punch. Robbins was fully invested in every note he sang, and that sense of giving unsparingly of his heart and soul continues to amaze, whether on the baroque Mitch Miller productions on Robbins's landmark '50s hits "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)" and "The Story of My Life," the spare, basic band arrangements of "El Paso" and "Big Iron," or the schmaltzy orchestral charts on melodramatic ballads such as "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife." Artists like Marty Robbins and his peer Johnny Cash, who stayed true to their vision throughout their lives, leave behind an astounding, enduring body of work. David McGee

All Music Guide

Sony's Essential Marty Robbins highlights 40 remastered tracks recorded during the singer's lengthy tenure with Columbia, following the major paths Robbins' 30-year-career took. Starting with his first number one country single, "I'll Go On Alone," in 1952 and the crossover pop collaborations of the era with Mitch Miller and the Ray Conniff Orchestra, the package wraps up with his final Top Ten country single from 1982, "Honkytonk Man." Ample space is given to the much revered gunfighter ballads of the early '60s and several Billy Sherrill-produced singles in the mid-'70s. While these discs contain a wealth of Robbins material from which to choose, Essential only hints at the singer's ability to easily grasp and interpret varied stylistic genres of music. With that in mind, Sony's 1991 Essential Marty Robbins: 1951-1982 is still the recommended set as it features an extra ten tracks. Les Campbell