Songs From The South Volumes 1 & 2: Paul Kelly’s Greatest Hits
Paul Kelly
Label: Gawdaggie/Universal Australia
Reviewed: November, 2011
Songs From the South, Volumes 1 & 2: Paul Kelly’s Greatest hits is an incredible anthology of some of the greatest work ever produced by the Australian troubadour. This collection will be welcomed by old fans and will surely spur a whole new generation of fans as they are turned on to his music.
Paul Kelly is loved and enjoys an incredible following of devoted, discerning listeners in the U.S. and Canada. However, in his native Australia, Mr. Kelly enjoys the stature of being considered a national hero.
Songs From the South (Volumes 1 & 2), is the most exhaustive compilation Paul Kelly’s work to date. The career-spanning set features 40 songs drawn from Kelly’s incredible body of music, combining fan favorites, rare gems and numerous notable songs previously unreleased in North America.
Songs From the South (Volumes 1 & 2) spearheads an ambitious reissue program that will restore Kelly’s remarkable catalog of recordings back into the North American market. This collection is self-evident that Paul Kelly’s more recent work is as engaging and dauntless now as his early work that first established him as a major artist. His songs remain as fresh and inspired as ever.
As it is with any artist who is trying to compile a greatest hits collection, they’re going to leave some wondering why certain songs weren’t included. While I am disappointed that Midnight Rain wasn’t included in this mix, there are 40 other great ones on this pair of discs to keep me quite happy.
If you have never heard Mr. Kelly’s work, this is a great starter set to get a feel for his work. And, at a mere $14 for the discs or $10 for the digital download, the pricing makes this addition to your listening library an absolute steal – yes , a steal. So, with Christmas shopping season kicking in, order an extra set or two for those music fiends on your shopping list. They’ll love you for it.
