Great Rock Albums of 1982: The Greatest Hits of the Outlaws, High Tides Forever

 Whether it was down to the lack of commercial success of the 1982 studio album, "Los Hombres Malo," or simply because they thought it was the appropriate time but in 1982, The Outlaws decided to release a greatest hits album. So, they chose eight of their best songs and put out what was to be a must have for any Outlaws fan or someone who considered themselves a purveyor of Southern Rock. I was the latter.

It might have been only eight songs buy by God, what eight great songs they are! There are the three best known songs, at least to me, "Green Grass and High Tides," "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and "There Goes Another Love Song," which I had always thought was on the "Los Hombres Malo" album because I remember it being played quite a bit on radio in early 1983. As an added bonus, the version of "Ghost Riders" is a live recording that sounds really good. The album also opened my eyes to some of the lesser known Outlaws jams as well. "Hurry Sundown," "Holiday" and "Stick Around for Rock and Roll" are all great songs as can only be done by the Outlaws. All three have those long guitar solos in that Southern Blues based fashion. The only track that doesn't go in this mold is "Take It Anyway You Want It." It actually has a more harder edge but lasting only three minutes and fifteen seconds, is very short for an Outlaws song. It's still a decent song goes well in this compilation of Outlaws' history.

Track Listing:

1. Stick Around for Rock And Roll

2. There Goes Another Love Song

3. Take It Anyway You Want It

4. Green Grass and High Tides

5. Ghost Riders in the Sky

6. Hurry Sundown

7. Holiday

8. You Are the Show

[caption id="attachment_1329" align="aligncenter" width="179"] The Outlaws[/caption]

Rick Cua- bass, lead and backing vocals

David Dix- drums, percussion

Dave Lane- fiddle, violin

Dave Lyons- keyboards, lead and backing vocals

Freddie Salem- guitar, lead and backing vocals

Hughie Thomasson- guitar, banjo, lead and backing vocals

There are so many greatest hits albums around that it's no wonder that the Outlaws would put out one of their own. "High Tides Forever" contains the classics that made their name at the time.

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