Greatest Hits

Pat Torpey is best known as the drummer of pop-metallists Mr. Big, but he is also the leader of Odd Man Out, a ragtag collection of '80s-era rockers who specialize in tunes similar to Torpey's main gig — rock, pop, and the expected chops-heavy workouts. Having issued a pair of albums, 1997's self-titled debut and 1998's Y2K, the best tracks from both have been assembled on the 12-track Greatest Hits collection. With such musicians as Steve Lukather, Billy Duffy, Matt Sorum, Chuck Wright, Larry Cordola, and Torpey's former Mr. Big bandmate Paul Gilbert lending a hand, Torpey is free to roam wherever he desires. These "explorations" include the funky "Hangover," the Joe Satriani meets blink-182 "Joystick," the mellow Dream Theater-sorta ballad "Spit It Out," and loads of melodic hard rock, including the album-opening "Jack the One Eyed Jill." And of course, there's an obligatory unaccompanied drum solo, "Peeping Tom Tom." While the main reason for Odd Man Out was to provide Torpey with an outlet to pursue other styles, overall the album sounds more or less like a more diverse than usual Mr. Big release. As a result, Greatest Hits will be of interest to only hardcore Mr. Big fans.