Bear Family's Wishful Thinking compilation gathers virtually everything that Bakersfield sound pioneer Wynn Stewart ever recorded, summarizing his three-decade career over the course of ten discs. "Keeper of the Keys," "It's Such a Pretty World Today," "Sing a Sad Song," "Waltz of the Angels," and the title track are some of the many highlights from this 279-song collection, which traces Stewart's evolution from his hard-driving, rockabilly tinged sound in the '50s to a more pop-oriented country style in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. His complete works for labels such as Jackpot-Challenge, Copre, Playboy, and his own Win and Pretty World imprints are also included. As with all Bear Family releases, Wishful Thinking also includes extensive liner notes, and the first full-length Wynn Stewart biography is part of the package as well. Though the California Country: The Best of the Challenge Masters collection is probably still the best introduction to Stewart's work, Wishful Thinking is a treasure for his longtime fans.