by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Though named after Tennessee Ernie Ford's biggest hit, Sixteen Tons was released five years after the single was a hit. The large gap of time between the release of the single and album is inconsequential -- in essence, the album is a compilation of Ford's greatest hits of the '50s, containing not only the title track, but also &Mule Train,& &The Cry of the Wild Goose,& and &The Shot Gun Boogie.& Though more comprehensive compilations of Ford's work were later released, Sixteen Tons remains an entertaining listen from start to finish; in fact, in terms of sheer listenability, it rivals any of the latter-day collections.