Blue Rodeo ~ Greatest Hits

t's somehow fitting that the first definitive career overview from Blue Rodeo opens with a dressed-down but impassioned version of the Bee Gees' orchestral-pop classic "To Love Somebody." Not that the veteran Toronto roots-rockers are known for covers: the mark they've carved in Canadian music post-1985 is their own. But, even at their most ambitious, Blue Rodeo remain a bar-band at heart--a canny bunch with all the right rock & roll/pop/country/psych reference points pinned figuratively to their denim sleeves. Greatest Hits does what it should, laying out the band's career highs on a single platter. First track aside, it sticks to chronological order--something that seems to have fallen out of vogue in the realm of best-ofs--and the distinct voices of tag-team songwriters Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor ensure that things are nicely varied. The disc also underlines their deft balance of song smarts and adult-contemporary radio appeal. Though it's lean at 13 tracks, this entry-level volume should make an ideal one-stop for fans and dabblers alike.

1 To Love Somebody

2 Rose-Coloured Glasses

3 Try

4 Diamond Mine

5 Til I Am Myself Again

6 Trust Yourself

7 Lost Together

8 5 Days in May

9 Hasn't Hit Me Yet

10 Bad Timing

11 Dark Angel

12 Side of the Road

13 It Could Happen to You

14 After the Rain