The Essential

by Don Johnson

Overview

"The Essential" Don Johnson might be stretching it. Still, Johnson's two albums had their merits, particularly Heartbeat, his debut. Of the 16 cuts on this set, nine of the ten original tracks from Heartbeat are included here. Of the tracks that come from Let It Roll, only the best make the cut, such as Johnson's versions of "Tell It Like It Is," "Your Love Is Safe With Me," "Heartache Away," etc. Johnson was smart about his singing career. He enlisted help form major-league songwriters like Bob Seger ("Star Tonight") and Tom Petty ("Lost in Your Eyes"), and of course his biggest hit, "Heartbeat," was written by Eric Kaz and Wendy Waldman. Throughout this collection there are surprises, and Johnson's voice is steady, rock-solid even. The material isn't always great, but it is never less that reliably sound pop/rock played by a host of aces, with guest stars including Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Ron Wood. Pretty cool, kitsch or not. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	10/14/2003
Label:	Sony Music Distribution
UPC:	5099748686527
Rank:	34203

Tracks

1. Tell It Like It Is
2. Voice on a Hotline
3. Heartbeat
4. Other People's Lives
5. Heartache Away
6. What if It Takes All Night
7. Can't Take Your Memory
8. Angel City
9. Star Tonight
10. Lost in Your Eyes
11. Coco Don't
12. Gotta Get Away
13. Your Love Is Safe With Me
14. Lonely Too Long
15. The Last Sound Love Makes
16. A Better Place

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Don Johnson   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Yuri   Primary Artist
Terry Silverlight   Drums

Technical Credits

Lee Diamond   Composer
Diane Warren   Composer
Peter Kaye   Composer
George Davis   Composer
Curly Smith   Composer
Wendy Waldman   Composer
Marty Robbins   Composer
Men at Work   Cover Design
Eric Kaz   Composer
Don Johnson   Composer
Tom Petty   Composer