When Chris Cagle came out of Nashville’s Virgin label in the year 2000, the artist instantly established himself as a fun-loving maker of rowdy tunes like “My Love Goes On and On,” they were songs perfect for bonfires and backyard bar-b-que.  While he struggled to find the right hit via this ‘gruff exterior,’ the artist found himself on the charts with the hit “Laredo”  which gave him his first Top 10 while dialing down the ‘party’ image just a bit.  That image was dialed down even further after Cagle moved to Capitol Records and reissued the album with the single “I Breathe In, I Breathe Out.”  The single, which became Cagle’s first and only #1 hit during his tenure at Capitol Records, showcased a strong ability with ballads. 

From that point in his career to the end of his tenure with Capitol Records Nashville in 2009, Cagle’s biggest hits all were ballads of varying tempos.  Those ballads included “What A Beautiful Day,” “Miss Me Baby “ and “What Kinda Gone.”  In fact, the only other Top 10 or 15 hit that wasn’t a ballad was the big-time crowd pleaser “Chicks Dig It.”  All of these songs are included on this new compilation that chronicles Chris Cagle’s four album career with Virgin/Capitol Nashville.  Other hits included on the package include the rowdy “Country By The Grace of God,”  a song that would’ve been  a huge hit if it had been a single in 2008-2010 instead of 2001.  Another song that that recalls other artists currently on the radio is “Hey Ya’ll,” a track which recalls “She’s Country’s” rock n roll rhythms.  The rest of the album includes songs like the tender album track from 2003’s Chris Cagle in “Look What I’ve Done” and the title track to the final album from 2008, My Life’s Been A Country Song. 

Near-miss or marginal hits included on The Best of Chris Cagle include “Wal-Mart Parking Lot” and “Anywhere But Here,” a song that I’m still surprised at for not becoming a big hit, even if it feels somewhat like a remake of Collin Raye’s 1994 hit “Little Rock.”  While Chris Cagle will never be remembered as much more than a capable singer, he did co-write 10 of these 15 tunes.  On top of that, this compilation gives people all they could really want to hear from Chris Cagle’s tenure with Capitol Records.