Cledus T. Judd

This enjoyable set gathers songs from all six of Cledus T. Judd's studio albums. What little filler those records had is trimmed here in favor of the hits, making Essential, well, pretty essential for fans of the country-fried funnyman. Usual targets like Shania Twain and Alan Jackson get sent up with "If Shania Was Mine," "Gone Funky," and "Jackson (Alan That Is)," the latter doing double duty by parodying the arrangement of Johnny Cash's "Jackson." This retrospective does seem a little flimsy, especially given Judd's remarkably consistent and frequently funny output over the years. It could have easily drawn three or even four tracks from his strongest records, and should have included more original tunes. Still, the inclusion of the Buck Owens duet "First Redneck on the Internet" more than makes up for this oversight, as it's one of Judd's strongest, most spot-on tunes. In addition to the audio material, Essential includes videos for "If Shania Was Mine" and "Christ-Mas." ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide