Nothin' But the Taillights

After collecting the highlights from the first six years of his career on his 1995 Greatest Hits, Clint Black opened a new chapter with 1997’s Nothin’ But the Taillights, his strongest collection of songs since his 1989 debut. It opens with the sterling title song, a bright and driving melody that's the best of a highway song and a breakup song in one. Whether ballads (“That Something In My Life”), two-step boogie (“Loosen Up My Strings”), R&B (“You Don’t Need Me Now”) or straight-ahead pop-rock (“The Shoes You’re Wearing”), Black’s are not melodies that you forget. As usual, the guest spots are relaxed and fitting. Martina McBride’s “Still Holding On” is a worthy sequel to “No Bad Goodbye,” Black’s 1993 duet with Wynona Judd, but the real gem is “Our Kind of Love,” an acoustic song with Alison Krauss and Union Station. Delicate and rootsy, Krauss and Black are a perfect match. “Ode to Chet” is more than a tribute to modern country’s grandfather, Chet Atkins — it is Black’s opportunity to spotlight a cast of legendary sidemen, including Steve Wariner, Larry Carlton and Dann Huff.