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Jim Croce
 Photographs & Memories - His Greatest Hits $10.49 Jim Croce Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits has some truly unforgettable songs by one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the twentieth century, Jim Croce. Although I would have liked an extra song or two, the material we get on this album is superlative in every way. Jim never sounded better and that's excellent. Jim's artistry shines bright and he lives on through his music. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is nice even if it is somewhat standard for this CD series. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" starts the track set with Jim Croce performing at his very best--this tune is well written, Jim sings it flawlessly and it's as catchy as anything, too! The rhythm is just right and the piano works wonders for this number. There's just a bit of background vocals on "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and this extra effect works very well. "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)" explores the feelings a man has after a love has gone wrong; this ballad gets a very sensitive treatment from Jim and I'm impressed. Similarly, "Photographs and Memories" is truly special; this tune features Jim effortlessly handling complex tempo and key changes like the pro he was and always will be! "Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy)" is catchy, too. "Time in a Bottle" is a song Jim wrote for his son A.J.; this tender love song stuns me with its beauty and it could never go out of style. Yes! "New York's Not My Home" sounds like a not so friendly reply to Billy Joel's "New York State Of Mind;" and "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" has a country flavor to it that works well for this ballad. "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" sounds so good when Jim Croce performs it to perfection and it's a major highlight of this album. "I Got A Name" is proud, upbeat and rather masculine--and it all holds its own very well. "I Got A Name" also has a lush musical arrangement; Jim sings this wonderfully. Terrific! "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" is a tender portrait of a man expressing his love for his woman; and "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" is another stunner that comes on strong, grabs you by the throat and never lets go! "Lover's Cross" is not exactly the happiest of songs but the melody is very pretty nonetheless; and "One Less Set of Footsteps" pretty much runs along the same lines. The CD ends with "These Dreams" and "Roller Derby Queen;" Jim sings "Roller Derby Queen" with panache and this final number also sports a very catchy beat. Jim Croce gave so much of himself and he always dug deep into his songs to make each one shine bright. We are blessed that he shared his talent with us. This is highly recommended for the Jim Croce fan; but fans who have these tunes already may want Jim Croce box sets available for sale on this website. The more casual fans or the newcomer to Jim Croce's artistry will enjoy this album for years to come.  You Don't Mess Around With Jim $9.99 Jim Croce was a master at crafting a song. The prosity between music and lyric is uncanny. The Lyrics to songs like "Box #10", "New York's Not My Home" or "Time in a Bottle" are both sophisticated and eloquent. I cannot imagine where Croce would stand in our musical society if he had not been untimely killed in a plane crash. If you do not own this album, get it quick. You have a "heart-back guarantee", and believe me, you won't need it. You will become a Croce disciple! --Damon Medic |
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