Best Of

The tracks on this album are from between 1972 and 1974, and 21 of the songs are the work of the late Shel Silverstein, either solo or as a collaborator, so you know this is the real article and the distillation of the group's best classic work - and the sound is good as well: The guitar, piano, bass, and brass get lots of bite on Queen of the Silver Dollar, the mocking lead guitar on Cover of the Rolling Stone is crisp and bright, while the steel guitar is up close and personal on Sylvia's Mother like it never was on the radio. And the vocals were never more fun than they are here. This is best part of the group's entire output for the three years represented. If the two biggest hits don't do it for you, then Hey, Lady Godiva is worth the price of admission by itself, and the handful of non-Silverstein songs actually make a good contrast - they're not far removed from the satirical nature of his work, if less sophisticated in their appeal.