Paul Davis

Collectables' 2003 disc The Very Best of Paul Davis: I Go Crazy is part of their "Priceless Collection" series, which is a budget-line reissue series that reissues previously released budget-line collections from other labels. It's a bit of an odd situation since these are not collections that anyone really wants reissued, but they do tend to be good budget-line samplers, so it's nice to have them around for the consumer on a budget. I Go Crazy is no exception to the rule. A repackaged and retitled reissue of a 1993 Sony compilation, this presents the basics of his Bang recordings, such as "I Go Crazy" and "Sweet Life." While some notable Bang-era cuts are missing -- first and foremost "Ride 'Em Cowboy" -- what keeps this from being unconditionally recommended is that it doesn't cover his early-'80s recordings for Arista, which contain three of his biggest and best hits: "Do Right," "Cool Night," and "'65 Love Affair." If you need those songs, turn to Razor & Tie's fine 1999 collection Sweet Life, the only disc to give both labels equal measure, but if a sampling of the Bang years is all you need, this will do. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide