The Rockin' Side

1	Rough Around the Edges 3:48
2	T-R-O-U-B-L-E 3:00
3	Bible Belt / Little Feat 2:49
4	Blue Collar Man 3:46
5	Wishful Thinking 3:08
6	Start the Car 4:10
7	Back Up Against the Wall 3:47
8	Looking Out for Number One 3:42
9	Double Trouble / Marty Stuart 3:14
10	Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof 3:30
11	Put Some Drive in Your Country 4:19
12	Take It Easy 3:32
13	The Whiskey Ain't Workin' / Marty Stuart 2:40
14	Hard Times and Misery 3:14
15	No More Looking Over My Shoulder 3:46
16	Still in Love With You 3:22

Barnes & Noble

An eight-year (1990-98) retrospective in 16 songs, The Rockin' Side showcases Travis Tritt in full high-octane glory, growling and howling his way through some of the fiercest southern-spiced country rock this side of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Extending well beyond the obvious choices -- the Top 20 hits "Looking Out for Number One" and the Elvis cover "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," as well as the engaging smash-hit duet with buddy Marty Stuart on "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'" -- this set merits praise for its left-field selections. Those would include a powerhouse ditty called "Blue Collar Hero," featuring Skynyrd cofounder Gary Rossington adding some trademark searing, serpentine lead lines behind Tritt's roughhouse vocal; the roadhouse barn-burner "Wishful Thinking," also blessed with white-hot Rossington fretwork; the Memphis soul-styled "Start the Car"; two other winning duets with Stuart, "Hard Times and Misery" and "Double Trouble"; and a jubilant interpretation of "Take It Easy" from the tribute album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles. Not to be confused with his remarkably heartfelt The Lovin' Side, the blistering Rockin' Side is a solid demonstration of how Tritt has been able to keep his music fresh by working simple variations on a time-honored template. David McGee

All Music Guide

In February of 2002, Warner/Rhino offered up two Travis Tritt compilations, one spotlighting his "Rockin' Side," the other his "Lovin' Side." Titles don't come much clearer than that, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that both compilations deliver on their promise without straying from their template. Because they stick to a theme, neither has all of his hits, but that's not a problem since the selected hits -- in this case, tunes like "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" and "Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof" -- are surrounded by sharp selections from his albums, giving each compilation a surprisingly well-rounded feel. Of the two, The Rockin' Side is superior because Tritt sounds livelier, freer, truer in this setting than he does crooning ballads, and the material is also far more consistent. Note that this really does take "rockin'" seriously, meaning that honky tonk numbers (and big hits) like "Country Club" and "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" are entirely absent, but those looking for either the "Rockin' Side" or "Lovin' Side" of Travis Tritt will find either volume satisfying. Stephen Thomas Erlewine