Album Review

Mike DeGagne [allmusic.com]

No other artist took advantage of the CB craze of the '70s better than CW McCall. Chock full of trucker lingo, his songs bordered on the novelty type and would have been classified as just that if it wasn't for the popularity it gained from radio play. While much of McCall's material is either out of print or extremely hard to find, his Greatest Hits more than suffices. Although outdated, there is still some humor left to be found in some of his campy tunes. His hillbilly drawl is front and center on ''Wolf Creek Pass,'' while terms like ''smoky'' and ''10-4'' are hilariously rekindled on '''Round the World With Rubber Duck.'' His claim to fame, the mighty ''Convoy,'' which was loosely based on protests by truck drivers on state-issued border tolls, hit number one on Billboard's Top 40 back in 1975. McCall rarely sang, as his long-tongued songs usually involved him spinning the yarn while a chorus of females with high-pitched voices sang the middle. ''Roses for Mama'' was a serious attempt for McCall that was in the same vein as Red Sovine's ''Teddy Bear,'' and ''Crispy Critters'' sounds like a Jeff Foxworthy offering. The music, which is a light spattering of countrified guitar and banjo, helps to guide the Hee-Haw whimsy of the songs to the height of 18-wheel silliness. Still fun to listen to, but undoubtedly dated, this disc will still conjure up the odd chuckle.