The Best of Mac Davis

Wilco's Jeff Tweedy once said that his first musical memory was his father playing a Mac Davis record. To many a Gen X-er, Davis represents the kind of laidback, '70s, am radio "dad rock" that flowed from station wagon speakers on road trips, but nostalgia aside, his early songs have aged remarkably well. At 20 songs deep, this collection may find you surprised to learn that you know more of his songs than you realized — so much that you'll barely notice a small handful of missing chart-toppers like "It's Hard To Be Humble" and "I Believe In Music." "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" perfectly sets the tone as his summery voice sings a memorable chorus that's hard to shake. "Rock 'n’ Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)" is like a soft rock precursor to Foreigner's "Jukebox Hero" where the narrative tells of an aspiring rock star. "In the Ghetto" is the collection's gem; originally recorded in 1969 (hence the electric sitar), the song was later covered by Elvis Presley. Nothing against Davis' later recordings, but his classics are indeed classic.