100 Soul Classics

by

Various Artists

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100 Soul Classics (not to be confused with 100 Soul Classics) is a stellar collection of well-known soul hits from Stax, Motown, and Philly Soul labels. The various artists and labels are randomly scattered across the four discs.

Motown is more than amply represented by Diana Ross ("Reflections"), Stevie Wonder ("My Cherie Amour"), The Four Tops ("I Can't Help Myself"), Smokey and the Miracles ("The Tracks of My Tears"), Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell ("Ain't No Mountain High Enough"), The Temptations ("Just My Imagination"), Jimmy Ruffin, The Velvelettes, Martha Reeves, Mary Wells ("My Guy"), Brenda Holloway ("Every Little Bit Hurts"), The Elgins ("Heaven Must Have Sent You"), Edwin Starr, and the Jackson 5. There are a total of 32 Motown tracks, including all the megahits like "Heat Wave," "ABC," "My Guy, "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch," etc., along with classics like the Elgins' "Heaven Must Have Sent You" and the Isley Brothers' "This Old Heart of Mine Is Weak For You." Junior Walker even makes a guest appearance.

Post-Atlantic Stax (1968 and later) artists include the incomparable Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, Jean Knight, and the Staple Singers. Sam Cooke and James Brown also get several tracks. Philly Soul makes the cut with the Stylistics ("Betcha By Golly Wow," "Can't Help Falling In Love") and The O'Jays ("Backstabbers"). Sassy female soul is here too: Fontella Bass with "Rescue Me," Dinah Washington contributes "Mad About the Boy," and Etta James gets several tracks as well. There's also jazz by Roy Ayers, Nina Simone and Billy Stewart ("Summertime") thrown into the diverse mix.

I believe that this was a made-for-TV compilation; it's manufactured in Holland, and there's a Dutch ad in the liner notes. The sound quality is impeccable, and it's great to have such a wide-ranging glimpse of pivotal soul, jazz, R&B and funk in a single collection. The liner notes are sparse (including only artist titles, labels, and copyright year), but sufficient (there are no photos or extra essays, etc.). It's like a self-contained time capsule of '60s and '70s soul, and is an eclectic collection even for those who own a majority of the material, since lesser-known gems fill out the selections.

[July 17, 2011-Disclaimer: I wrote a review on the 5-CD boxset put out by the "CHEAPOLATA" label. It bears a title that matches exactly with two other boxsets by two different record labels. I never dreamt that Amazon.com and Amazon UK would insert my review in all three CD boxsets automatically. If I offend or offended anybody, it's really not my fault.]

Don't waste your hard-earn $$$ on this box set! Yes, the compilation includes many many great soul hits. But too many are re-recordings, and some of the voices in these tracks are unrecognizable. In other words, you don't know who the real singers are behind the mircophone. The best way to describe this boxset is: a little above-average Karaoke singers singing the soul hits of yester-years.

Another interesting thing I like to point out is that the word "CHEAPOLATA" is printed on the back of the thin cardboard box that houses the 5 CDs. Is that the name of the Label? if it is, then it's extremely appropriate and self-serving!