George Strait

Strait isn't a phony, and that isn't faint praise. With holdout authentics like Willie Nelson and Ricky Skaggs choking on their own auras, those who still look to country for the simple things treasure the matter-of-fact commitment of the man, who could have been named by a press agent but wasn't. And in the great country tradition, the best-of reduces cliché density by a crucial quantum: no surprises, just catchier and cleverer ways of dealing with the endless contradictions of sexual fidelity. Inspirational Titles: "Let's Fall to Pieces Together" and "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)." (Grade: A-)