Perhaps best known for his work with eighties cowpunkers Jason and the Scorchers, Jason Ringenberg has been there and done that in his 30-year career, and now he brings us this two disc career-spanning retrospective. Mainly featuring the highlights from his solo career, he has found time to re-work a few Scorchers standards and includes them here with pride. Ringenberg is more than just your average alt-country troubadour however and his punk rock influences are just as apparent as those of a straw-chewing banjo-slapping nature. ‘Shop It Around’ is a new version of a Scorchers tune and kicks off the album nicely before taking us on a journey through his varied styles, and his storytelling style of songwriting shines through for the duration of the 20 track ‘best of’. The high points are ‘One Less Heartache’, a well-crafted country rock collaboration with the cult rockers The Wildhearts, (co-written by Ginger himself), haunting ballad ‘The Price of Progress’, and ‘Link Wray’, a bluesy number you could imagine being played in a smoke-filled bar back in Nashville. Overall it makes a fascinating listen, and as it closes with the wonderfully melancholic ‘Last Train To Memphis’ you’re left with the echoing sentiments of a man who has indeed been there and done that.
Accompanying the main event is Side Tracks, a ten song selection of oddities which offer yet more insight into Ringenberg’s musical consciousness, including a couple of tracks from his ‘Farmer Jason’ childrens entertainer persona. Indeed, ‘Moose On The Loose’ is a tune that will be enjoyed by children of all ages. Other curios include a live track, a song written as a 70th birthday present for his mother, and another effort with the Wildhearts, ‘Jimmy Rodgers’ Last Blue Yodel’, which makes for a high-octane and fitting end to this epic compilation. Well worth checking out.
//Gordon Neil