Best Betts

10/9/2007 Stephen L. Betts Among this week’s best are some things old, some things new, a few things borrowed, and one artist who’s not so “Blue” anymore. Sara Evans Greatest Hits RCA Sara Evans has the things old and new on her Greatest Hits, including smashes such as “Born to Fly” and “Suds in the Bucket,” plus the new single “As If,” and three more previously unreleased tracks (“Pray for You,” “Love You with All My Heart,” and the best of the bunch “Some Things Never Change”). Among the missing: anything from her retro-country debut Three Chords and the Truth. All the more reason to seek out that underappreciated disc as well. Deana Carter The Chain Vanguard Deana Carter borrows a few pop and country classics for The Chain, a tribute to her dad, seasoned session guitarist Fred Carter Jr., and classic recordings with which he was involved. Guests who join her include Dolly Parton, on “Love Is Like a Butterfly,” Kris Kristofferson on “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” and Harper Simon (Paul’s son) on “The Boxer.” All mighty impressive to be sure, but it’s the last track, Deana’s sweet, breathy take on Neil Young’s “Old Man” that’s the real tribute here. LeAnn Rimes Family Curb LeAnn Rimes offers the soulful, steady rockin’ Family, which in spite of its all-inclusive title gives us a clearer picture of the singer than we’ve seen in much of her previous work. Tacking on the current duets with Jon Bovi Jovi and Reba McEntire as bonus tracks was hardly necessary, but the collaborations do serve as further reminders of LeAnn’s stature as a highly-respected artist who may be still be young, but is nevertheless quickly finding herself.