Hard to believe, but it's true: Hux's 2013 compilation The Best of 1951-1970 is the first Carl Smith collection to contain both his '50s and '60s hits. Lasting a single disc, there is no room here for anything more than 20 tracks, which means a lot of hits are left behind, including Top Ten singles like "Before I Met You," but what is here includes much of Smith's prime, including "Loose Talk," "There She Goes," "Kisses Never Lie," "Ten Thousand Drums," and "Deep Water." Hux's decision to sequence the 20 tracks in seemingly haphazard order -- this hopscotches between the '50s and '60s, mixing up different sounds and aesthetics -- is somewhat bewildering but that doesn't prevent this collection from being one of the finest Carl Smith comps assembled and, certainly, if any listener wants to sample both of his hitmaking decades at once, this is the place to go. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
