Leann Rimes - Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits recaps LeAnn Rimes' time at Curb Records -- an era that began with enormous, surprising success and ended acrimoniously, with Rimes gunning for crossover success as the label churned out product. Released about a year after her teen-pop makeover on Twisted Angel, this collection is a bit like Rimes herself, perched between her country beginnings and pop crossover aspirations, wanting to be hip, but settling for the middle of the road more often than not. This comes through in the song selection, which has all the big hits that brought her steadily away from her classicist country beginnings with "Blue," and closer to the adult contemporary mainstream of "Can't Fight the Moonlight." While nothing major is missing -- and nothing should be missing, given its generous 19-track length -- there are no less than nine charting singles missing (including "Hurt Me," "Looking Through Your Eyes," most singles from Twisted Angel), with album tracks and new cuts, including a superfluous cover of "O Holy Night" tacked onto the end (the better to position the album for holiday sales), taking their position. Since all the major songs are here, it's a worthwhile collection, but the sequencing is not only hopelessly non-chronological, it develops no momentum and bogs down in the middle, suggesting that this was not so much compiled as it was thrown-together. That's the problem with this Greatest Hits -- it may give the hits, but its careless presentation means that it's much less than what it should have been. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Adam Ayan Mastering Amy Fogerson Group Member, Choir, Chorus Andrew Pryce Jackman Orchestral Arrangements Austin Deptula Engineer, Assistant B. James Lowry Guitar (Acoustic) Ben Chappell Cello Berj Garabedian Violin Bob Becker Viola Bob Campbell-Smith Assistant Boguslaw Kostecki Violin Bruce White Viola Cassandra ONeal Piano Charles Lane Choir, Chorus, Group Member Chris Rowe Digital Editing Chris Tombling Violin Chuck Howard Producer, Producer Claire Fedoruk Group Member, Choir, Chorus Dan Dugmore Guitar (Steel) Dan Huff Guitar (Electric), Producer, Vocal Engineer Dave Woodcock Violin David Bryant Assistant David Campbell String Conductor, String Arrangements Dean Parks Guitar (Acoustic) Derek Bason Engineer Desmond Child Producer Dino Hermann Pro-Tools Dominic Miller Guitar Drew Holt Group Member, Choir, Chorus Elissa Johnston Group Member, Choir, Chorus Eric Darken Percussion Evan Wilson Viola Everton Nelson Violin Gary Leach Engineer, Assistant Gavyn Wright Violin Glenn Worf Bass Graham Stack Remixing Grant Gershon Choir, Chorus, Group Member Greg Davies Choir, Chorus, Group Member Greg Geiger Group Member, Choir, Chorus Greg Pagani Arranger, Producer Greg Walker Assistant Greg White Hunt Engineer Gustav Clarkson Viola Helene Quintana Group Member, Choir, Chorus Jackie Shave Violin Jed Hackett Assistant Jeff Balding Engineer, Mixing Jerry McPherson Guitar (Electric) Jessica Paster Stylist Jill Holbrook Engineer, Mixing Jillian Rubinger Stylist Joel Derouin Violin John Coulter Graphic Design John Saylor Assistant John Sullivan Dwight Translation John Wright Make-Up Johnny Mulhair Producer, Engineer Jonathan Williams Cello Josephina Vergara Violin Kevin St. Claire Choir, Chorus, Group Member Kimberly Swizter Group Member, Choir, Chorus Larry Corbett Cello LeAnn Rimes Producer, Executive Producer Leland Sklar Bass (Electric) Lisa Cochran Vocals (Background) London Session Orchestra Performer, Strings Margaret Wooten Violin Marie Hodgson Choir, Chorus, Group Member Mark Berrow Violin Mark Botting ? Mark Hagen Engineer Melanie Shelley Hair Stylist Michael Herring Guitar (Acoustic), Soloist Michael Thompson Slide Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Electric), Slide Guitar Michele Richards Violin Mike Curb Producer Mike Geiger Group Member, Choir Arrangement, Choir, Chorus Patrick Kiernan Violin Patrick Warren Synthesizer Strings, Organ (Pump) Perry Coleman Vocals (Background) Pete Amato Arranger, Producer Peter Collins Producer Peter G. Hanson Violin Peter Kent Violin Peter Lale Viola Robert Lewis Group Member, Choir, Chorus Rohan Thomas Keyboards Ross Pelton Photography Scott Welch ? Shannon Forrest Drums Shawn Lee Drums, Percussion Sheila E. Drums Stephen Grimm Group Member, Choir, Chorus Steve Churchyard Engineer Steve MacMillan Engineer, Mixing Steve Nathan Keyboards Steve Robson Guitar, Keyboards, Producer Suzie Katayama Cello Tim Akers Keyboards Tim Weidner Engineer Tom Bukovac Guitar (Electric) Tom Elmhirst Mixing Trevor Horn Producer Warren Zielinski Violin Wilbur C. Rimes Producer Will Malone String Conductor, String Arrangements