Search - Irma Thomas :: Ruler of Hearts

Great performances, poor sound

Stephen Espinola | Brooklyn, NY USA | 06/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you want a collection of Irma Thomas' early singles, for Minit records (1960-1963), this is the most complete collection you can find; it is the _only_ place you can find 6 or 7 of these recordings, in fact. And even with the songs which are available on the Kent "Time Is On My Side" compilation (which you should buy first), the mixes here are different, often featuring louder, punchier guitar and longer fadeouts than on the more common versions. Unfortunately, the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired. I can't tell whether this was dubbed from vinyl and acetate test pressings or whether it was just a poor early (1989) digital transfer, but there is some noticeable noise and distortion on these mixes, and clicks that may indicate vinyl dust or digital jitter. And unlike the vinyl release of this album (featuring the first 16 tracks), no songs are credited to their authors (usually Allen Toussaint under the Naomi Neville pseudonym).The _material_, however, is faultless. Allen Toussaint wrote and arranged most of the songs, and every single one plays in some way with the pop music conventions of the day. (For example, "That's all I ask" transposes a standard guitar boogie riff to strings for a charming and strange effect.) Many of her classic performances are here, including "Ruler of My Heart", "It's Raining", "Somebody Told You", "Cry On", and "I Done Got Over". A rare demo of "Your Love Is True" is particularly wonderful, even with its reference beeps.The tracks after #16 are taken from a 1976 live concert. The performances are great, especially a side-splitting and raunchy monologue delivered during "I Wish Someone Would Care."In spite of the poor sound, I recommend it to Irma fans until a better-mastered version comes along. Note: It seems to be out of print, so snatch it up while you can."