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Critic's Review
Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
From 1981 to 1991, Ricky Skaggs recorded ten albums for Epic, the highlights of which have been culled for the collection The Essential Ricky Skaggs. While this is a great document of his new traditionalist recordings from this era, the title "Essential" is a little misleading; none of his really terrific work with the Country Gentlemen and J.D. Crowe & the New South from the '70s or his more recent work reviving authentic bluegrass music is featured. Still, songs like "Don't Cheat in Our Hometown," "Lovin' Only Me," and "Heartbroke" showcase a confident and talented honest to goodness country singer. During an era where slick instrumentation and presentation was the norm, Skaggs managed to be successful on country radio and still maintain a strong artistic integrity, all of which is readily evident here.
