The very best old and new hits

The Very Best of Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow

A’M Records

… The Very Best of Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow

A’M Records

She’s back. Maybe not with an original song, but with her own version of it. After collaborating on “Picture” with Kid Rock, she has a new CD, The Very Best of Sheryl Crow.

I’ve always loved the independent guitar rocker, with her ’70s style. Though maybe in the past, she’s been a little too vocal with her political beliefs, just put the politics out of your mind and keep your ears open. What will you hear? The female rock icon singing songs about broken hearts – her new CD recalls memories of where you were back in 1993 with the debut of Tuesday Night Music Club.

Is her newest effort strong enough to climb the best-selling charts, though? With her rendition of “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” she may have something that even Cat Stevens would be proud to listen to. It was originally Stevens’ song, though everyone thought it was by Rod Stewart, and Crow’s tribute to Stevens works well. You’ll not only be familiar with the song that Stevens sang, but you’ll also listen to past hit songs such as, “All I Wanna Do,” “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Everyday Is a Winding Road.”

Was the road for Crow so curvy that we haven’t heard good hits since 1996, when she launched of her namesake album? What happened? And what’s in store for this rock gal and her fans?

Perhaps Crow was soaking up the sun before she took a picture with Kid Rock. Whatever the reason for her vacation, one thing is clear: the 41-year-old rock star is back, looking and sounding younger than ever.

Contrary to the implications of “The Very Best,” her new CD does not mark her early retirement. Rather, it is a compilation of her most prized work since her debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club.

Including old hits and new, such as her rendition of “The First Cut Is the Deepest” and “Light in Your Eyes,” the album will make fans grateful that Crow is bringing out her guitar for another time around.

Then what is it about Crow that keeps us buying her CDs? Perhaps it’s her ability to remain undaunted by fame, her perfected voice that sounds like silk over her guitar, or her poetic lyrics that tug at your soul and open your heart. Whatever the reason, this new CD of Crow’s is sure to elicit the same emotions as her previous work.