There have been a few
Clint Black
compilations -- an initial
Greatest Hits
in 1996, a sequel in 2001, two identically titled
Super Hits
with different track listings -- prior to 2003's
Ultimate Clint Black
, but this is the first to take full stock of his ten-year stint at
RCA Records
. Appropriately, this was released at the end of that run, a few months before he released his first record on
Equity
, so it was perfectly timed to summarize his peak years as a popular recording artist. Does it do a good job? More or less, yes. It's a mixed blessing that it covers so much ground, since it does wind up giving a full portrait of his '90s stardom, but at the expense of his better, earlier harder
country
, as well as several
Top Ten singles. Nevertheless, this has the bulk of his biggest hits, from the timeless
"Killin' Time"
to the
Steve Wariner
duet
"Been There,"
making it a satisfying retrospective from one of the best
new traditionalists
of the '90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine