The Best of John Doe: This Far

The Best of John Doe: This Far

This is pretty much what fans of John Doe and his excellent band X would expect from the man when it came time for a solo retrospective. First off, "This Far" declares he isn’t done. Second, this set isn't chronological but paced like a double LP (“Side three is the quiet side,” quips Doe). Third, Doe tinkers where he’s not satisfied. The two songs represented from his 1990 debut solo album, Meet John Doe, are an alternate take of “Dyin’ to Get Home” and a solo-acoustic retake of “Take #52.” An acoustic version of “Poor Girl” represents his days with X. By the mid-'90s with Kissingsohard (represented with three tracks), Doe began to find his solo voice; the productions made sense. He issued a number of solid solo albums that included guest appearances by Kathleen Edwards, Aimee Mann, Neko Case, and Grant Lee Phillips (plus a 2011 collaboration with Jill Sobule). Each album is worth hearing on its own, but this collection provides an intelligent overview.

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