A truly comprehensive four-CD compilation covering the years 1976-1995, including all 31 of his number one hits, 11 more chart singles of great musical significance, 19 LP tracks, and 11 more rare tracks, plus a brace of unreleased songs that are anything but leftovers. The opening three tracks, all written by Strait and dating from 1976-1979, show a lot of potential on his part as a singer fronting a competent band. 1981's "Unwound" was where his career lifted off, and his singing takes on serious depth and range. Beyond "Unwound," there's a lot here that could've done well as singles, displaying his early sound as a mix of traditional country and country-pop. Strait ultimately rebelled against the latter, but the songs off of his first two LPs show a prodigious talent in any milieu he'd have chosen to work. Disc two opens with the Bob Wills number "Right or Wrong," which became central to Strait's sound and image and, in the early '80s, was a reminder that as smooth as those early MCA songs had been, Strait had a genuine commitment to Western swing and traditional country music. Disc three divides its space between ballads and honky tonk numbers, with some comedy and some bracing Western swing. Disc four is all '90s material, right up through 1995. The cut that helped sell this set is Strait's never-issued 1993 duet with Frank Sinatra on "Fly Me to the Moon," which never should have been left off the Duets album -- the two singers' voices sound right together, and the song works as is. The producers have provided a booklet with an extensive biographical essay, a full sessionography, and comments from Strait himself on each of the songs included. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
Buddy Emmons (Guitar (Steel)), Johnny Gimble (Fiddle), Johnny Gimble (Mandolin), Johnny Gimble (Saxophone), Buddy Spicher (Fiddle), George Strait (Guitar), George Strait (Vocals), George Strait (Vocals (Background)), George Strait (Producer), George Strait (Harmony Vocals), George Strait (Main Performer), George Strait (Compilation), George Strait (Photography), Hank Thompson (Vocals), Hank Thompson (Performer), Frank Sinatra (Vocals), Frank Sinatra (Performer), Matt Rollings (Piano), Patrick Williams (Conductor), Patrick Williams (Director), Steve Gibson (Guitar (Acoustic)), Steve Gibson (Multi Instruments), Judy Rodman (Vocals (Background)), Glen Duncan (Fiddle), Bobby Wood (Keyboards), Joe Barnhill (Guitar (Acoustic)), Joe Barnhill (Producer), Joe Chemay (Bass), David Anthony (Guitar (Acoustic)), Ray Baker (Producer), Eddie Bayers (Drums), Richard Bennett (Guitar (Acoustic)), Ray Benson (Guitar), Ray Benson (Producer), Ray Benson (Harmony Vocals), Chuck Berghofer (Bass), Chuck Berghofer (Rhythm Bass), Matt Betton (Drums), George Binkley III (?), Pete Bordonali (Guitar (Electric)), Jimmy Bowen (Producer), John David Boyle (?), Clyde Brooks (Drums), Tony Brown (Producer), Larry Byrom (Guitar (Electric)), Buddy Cannon (Vocals (Background)), Jimmy Capps (Guitar (Acoustic)), Jerry Carrigan (Drums), Cindy Cashdollar (Guitar (Steel)), Cindy Cashdollar (Hawaiian Guitar), Marcy Cates (Vocals (Background)), Margie Cates (Vocals (Background)), Marvin Chantry (?), Steve Chapman (Guitar (Acoustic)), Steve Chapman (Guitar (Rhythm)), Chip Young (Guitar (Electric)), Gene Chrisman (Drums), Roy Christensen (?), Virginia Christensen (?), Doug Clements (Vocals (Background)), Mike Daily (Guitar (Steel)), Hank DeVito (Guitar (Steel)), Floyd Domino (Piano), Steve Dorff (Conductor), Steve Dorff (String Arrangements), Stuart Duncan (Fiddle), Gene Elders (Fiddle), Mark Feldman (Fiddle), Rita Figlio (Vocals (Background)), Phil Fisher (Drums), Pat Flynn (Guitar (Acoustic)), Michael Francis (Saxophone), Paul Franklin (Guitar (Steel)), Paul Franklin (Pedal Dobro), Gregg Galbraith (Guitar (Acoustic)), Gregg Galbraith (Guitar (Electric)), Sonny Garrish (Dobro), Sonny Garrish (Guitar (Steel)), Bob Gelotte (Drums), Emory Gordy (Bass), Carl Gorodetzky (?), Lennie Haight (?), Rob Hajacos (Fiddle), Owen Hale (Drums), Terry Hale (Bass), Bobby Hardin (Vocals (Background)), Hoot Hester (Fiddle), John Hobbs (Keyboards), Jim Horn (Saxophone), Ronnie Huckaby (Piano), Sherilyn Huffman (Vocals (Background)), John Hughey (Guitar (Steel)), Mitch Humphries (Keyboards), David Hungate (Bass), Leo Jackson (Guitar (Acoustic)), Leo Jackson (Guitar (Electric)), John Jarvis (Piano), Dave Kirby (Guitar (Acoustic)), Jerry Kroon (Drums), Mike Leech (Bass), Bill Mabry (Fiddle), Liana Manis (Vocals (Background)), Steve Marsh (Saxophone), Brent Mason (Guitar (Acoustic)), Brent Mason (Guitar (Electric)), Benny McArthur (Guitar (Electric)), Randy McCormick (Piano), Wade McCurdy (Vocals (Background)), Rick McRae (Guitar (Electric)), Glenn Meadows (Mastering), Blake Mevis (Producer), Dennis Molchan (?), Alan Moore (String Arrangements), Weldon Myrick (Guitar (Steel)), Nashville String Machine (Group), Steve Nathan (Synthesizer), Steve Nathan (Piano), Steve Nathan (Multi Instruments), Fred Newell (Guitar (Electric)), Jody Nix (Harmony Vocals), Louis Dean Nunley (Vocals (Background)), Mark O'Connor (Fiddle), Larry Paxton (Bass), Phil Ramone (Producer), Leon Rhodes (Guitar), Leon Rhodes (Guitar (Bass)), Hargus "Pig" Robbins (Keyboards), Jack Ross (Bass), Brent Rowan (Guitar (Electric)), Mike Rutherford (Photography), David Sanger (Drums), Walter Schwede (?), Randy Scruggs (Guitar (Acoustic)), Eldon Shamblin (Guitar (Rhythm)), Jim Shea (Photography), Donna Sheridan (Vocals (Background)), Jerry Shook (Guitar (Acoustic)), Harry Stinson (Vocals (Background)), Henry Strzelecki (Bass), Donald Teal (?), Bobby Thompson (Guitar (Acoustic)), Diane Tidwell (Vocals (Background)), Mark Tucker (Photography), Ricky Turpin (Fiddle), Ricky Turpin (Mandolin), Gary VanOsdale (?), Pamela VanOsdale (?), Billy Joe Walker, Jr. (Guitar (Electric)), Jamie Whiting (Keyboards), Hurshel Wiginton (Vocals (Background)), Stephanie Woolf (?), Glenn Worf (Bass), Paul Yandell (Guitar (Acoustic)), Paul Yandell (Guitar (Electric)), Curtis Young (Guitar (Electric)), Curtis Young (Vocals (Background)), Liana Young (Vocals (Background)), Reggie Young (Guitar (Electric)), Andrea Zonn (Vocals (Background)), Ron Anthony (Guitar), Hank Cattaneo (Producer), Don Daily (Producer), Gregg Field (Drums), Sandra Callaway (Vocals (Background)), Tom Foote (Drums), Ruben Gosfeld (Guitar (Steel)), Arlene Hardin (Vocals (Background)), Gwen Kay (Vocals (Background)), Paul Kingsbury (Liner Notes), Bob Moore (Bass), John Barlow Jarvis (Piano), Larrie Londin (Drums), Leland Sklar (Bass), Leland Sklar (Guitar (Electric)), Jerry Smith (Photography), Peter Nash (Photography), Jim McGuire (Photography), Tom Wilkes (Photography), Keith Carter (Photography), Don Putnam (Photography), Rick Henson (Photography), Beth Gwinn (Photography), Carmelo Roman (Photo Research), Chris Ferrara (Design), Slick Lawson (Photography), Bob Thompson (Guitar (Acoustic)), Jarrett Gaza (Photography), Bill Miller (Piano), Alan Mayor (Photography), Tim Alexander (Piano), David Miller (Bass), Ronnie Brooks (Guitar)
Strait Out of the Box is country music singer George Strait's box set It contains four CDs worth of music, dating from 1976 all the way to 1995. Most of the songs are greatest hits, but it contains previously unreleased music as well; songs that were recorded, but were outtakes until 1995. It also contains Strait's three songs recorded in the 1970's for indie label D Records.
"Check Yes or No" and "I Know She Still Loves Me" were both released from this set as singles. Respectively, they reached #1 and #5 on the Billboard country charts.
