Twenty Years of Dirt, subtitled The Best of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, is the second compilation album from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It is a collection of hits from their career to that point. The album contained one new song, "Stand a Little Rain", which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The album reached 10 on the US Country charts and was certified platinum.
Track listing "Intro/Mr. Bojangles" * (Jerry Jeff Walker) – 5:03from Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy 1970 "Ripplin' Waters" * (Jimmy Ibbotson) – 5:46 from Symphonion Dream 1975 "American Dream" ** (Rodney Crowell) – 3:48from An American Dream 1979 "Make A Little Magic" ** (Jeff Hanna, Richard Hathaway, Bob Carpenter) – 3:46from Make a Little Magic 1980 "Fire in the Sky" ** (Hanna, Carpenter) – 4:40from Jealousy 1981 "Dance Little Jean" *** (Jim Ibbotson) – 3:13from Let's Go 1983 "Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream) **** (Crowell) – 3:18from Plain Dirt Fashion 1984 "High Horse" **** (Ibbotson) – 3:13from Plain Dirt Fashion 1984 "Modern Day Romance" **** (Kix Brooks, Dan Tyler) – 3:30from Partners, Brothers and Friends 1985 "Partners, Brothers and Friends" **** (Ibbotson, Hanna) – 3:59from Partners, Brothers and Friends 1985 "Stand a Little Rain" **** (Don Schlitz, Donny Lowery) – 4:22 (Previously unreleased)
Chart positions YearSingleChart positionsAlbumUS CountryUSCAN CountryCAN 1970"Mr. Bojangles"—9—2Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy 1975"Ripplin' Waters"————Symphonion Dream 1980"An American Dream" (as The Dirt Band)5813—3An American Dream 1980"Make a Little Magic" (as The Dirt Band)A77256351Make a Little Magic1981/1986"Fire in the Sky"7765—Jealousy 1983"Dance Little Jean"9—39—Let's Go 1984"Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream)"1—2—Plain Dirt Fashion 1985"High Horse"2—2—Plain Dirt Fashion 1986"Modern Day Romance"1—2—Partners, Brothers and Friends 1986"Partners, Brothers and Friends"6—3—Partners, Brothers and Friends 1986"Stand a Little Rain"5—3—Twenty Years of Dirt
Personnel Bob Carpenter Jimmie Fadden Jeff Hanna Jim Ibbotson John McEuen
Production Producer * William E. McEuen ** Jeff Hanna/Bob Edwards *** Norbert Putnam **** Marshall Morgan
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1986) Peakposition US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 10
Year-end charts Chart (1986) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 50
References All information from album liner notes unless otherwise noted.Twenty Years of Dirt, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Warner Bros. Records 9 25382-2 (1986) CD