Hardin
's two decade-bridging albums for
Columbia Records
are compiled here on one CD. For almost any other artist, these 19 tracks would be considered essential listening, and they're not for
only because of the blazing brilliance of his classic
Verve Records
output. This is still a must-own disc, with excellent sound and very thorough annotation, and is worth ordering even as a slightly higher-priced import because the chances of either of these albums ever showing up in the domestic
Sony Music
catalog are next to nonexistent. There's a lot of pain in this disc, to be sure -- it's hard to find a
song that didn't have some -- but also a level of lyrical and musical excellence that one should feel privileged to partake of. ~ Bruce Eder