Greg Kihn

Kihnspicious Taste offers up one of the most complete anthologies from this Baltimore-born rocker. Comprised of 33 tracks and spanning 11 years, this two-CD set is an overabundance of Kihn's material, with added bonuses including his cover of Springsteen's "For You" and an interesting rendition of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," made famous by Gene Pitney in 1962. Of course, his three biggest hits highlight the package with the pop-ridden effusiveness of 1983's "Jeopardy" being the catchiest, going all the way to number two on Billboard's Top 40. Rockihnroll's "The Breakup Song" gave him a number 15 placing two years prior, and the steady pace of 1985's "Lucky" earned him his last chart entry at number 30 in March of that year. Outside of his well-known compositions, the rest of the album still holds strong. Tunes like Jonathan Richmond's "Roadrunner," "Madison Avenue," and "Can't Stop Hurting Myself" all contain Kihn's rock & roll straightforwardness and bare-wire energy. While die-hard fans will truly enjoy themselves in such an excess of material from both Kihn and his work with the Greg Kihn Band, even those who aren't in the know will discover plenty of gratifying pop/rock tracks. ~ Mike DaGagne, All Music Guide