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