The hit set is nicely balanced between the ballads and more up-tempo numbers. Isaak also pays tribute to his idols, with a faithful cover of Orbison's "Only The Lonely" and, in one of four new songs here, a full-out rock take on Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" done with his unmistakable yearning voice.
The CD is available by itself or in a bonus special edition that includes an hourlong DVD of Isaak's greatest videos. It's this package any Isaak fan will covet. That Herb Ritts-directed the "Wicked Game" video is, of course, one of the all-time sexiest of the MTV era, with Isaak and doe-eyed supermodel Helena Christensen cavorting half-naked on a deserted beach. That sets the tone for a lot of Isaak's videos, which tend to feature an awful lot of underdressed women. But they're done with style and a good-natured sexiness, and rarely feel exploitive. They're fine accompaniment to Isaak's tunes.
Even better, Isaak contributes an affable, frequently hilarious commentary over each of the 18 videos included (several of them are for songs not also on the CD, which makes it a real bonus for completists). "I should have my own fragrance," Isaak jokes at one point as gauzy romantic images slide past. Eau de Isaak? Well, the man's cornered the market on being the modern Roy Orbison. Why not branch out?
Article comments
1 - Illusionaire
Just got my copy of the DVD yesterday, and even without listening to the DVD commentary, I am in love. I won't be bothering with the remastered CD since my audio system isn't nice enough to notice the difference between it and all the albums I already own, but I will pick up the "I Want You To Want Me" track from iTunes. The only thing I am lamenting about the career retrospective is that it doesn't have enough live recordings on it. I'm talking about the concerts where he tells rollicking crazy fun stories that aren't always PG-rated. If I could get an album of those recordings at much better quality than my random assortment of bootlegs, then get the all seasons of The Chris Isaak show on DVD, I could die a happy woman.
2 - Eric Olsen
thanks Nik, I'm a huge fan and agree about Isaak's subtlety - I think he's still way underrated. I wrote about Isaak and his former guitarist James Calvin Wilsey here
3 - NR Davis
Definitely an underrated artist. God, I love Chris Isaak.
4 - Ron
Not enough from Baja Sessions. If you don't have any Isaak, just buy Baja Sessions, not the Greatest Hits.
5 - Connie Phillips
This article has been placed at the Advance.net websites, a site affiliated with about 12 newspapers.
One such site is here.
6 - -E
Congrats, this article was picked for one of this week's Ed Picks. Keep up the good work.