The Best [Edited]

Considering that David Lee Roth's solo career crashed after two albums and an EP, it should have been easy to assemble a 20-track greatest-hits compilation. Rhino's The Best proves that isn't so. Most of Roth's best-known songs are here, including "California Girls," "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody," "Yankee Rose," "Ladies Nite in Buffalo?," "Goin' Crazy," "Skyscraper," "Just Like Paradise," and "Stand Up." However, the collection contains too many mediocrities from the flat albums A Little Ain't Enough and Your Filthy Little Mouth while overlooking radio and MTV staples like "Damn Good" and "That's Life." Furthermore, the collection isn't assembled in chronological order, which makes it a bit of a difficult listen. Even with these faults, there's no arguing that The Best does distill Roth's best solo recordings to one disc, making it a useful compilation for most casual fans. Nevertheless, after listening to all of The Best, many listeners will probably think a little is enough and 20 tracks might be a bit too much. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine