Williams, Don - 20 Greatest Hits - [CD]

Don Williams 20 Greatest Hits by Don Williams AMAZON.COM With the gentle lope of his rhythms and the plainspoken phrasing of his material, Don Williams sings country music of unmatched simplicity and purity. His love songs are as straightforward as their titles--"I Wouldn't Want to Live If You Didn't Love Me," "You're My Best Friend," "I Believe in You"--delivered in a warm baritone that makes his singing seem as natural as breathing. "Tulsa Time," a country chart-topper, might be more familiar to rock fans through the cover by Eric Clapton, one of Williams's devoted fans. Though some of the early-'70s selections suffer from overproduction, and so many of the hits sound so much the same, the collection attests to Williams's enduring appeal. (Major omission: his "If I Needed You" duet with Emmylou Harris.) --Don McLeese