KnowsGoodMusic | Ruston, La United States | 05/03/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are a casual fan of Joe South this is a fine purchase. Some reviewers stated the sound was not faithful to the originals on LP... (talk'n bout you and me - and the games people play). But I personally found the sound quality to be excellent. GREAT MUSIC from Joe South. I even love the picture on the cover and the Coool late 60'S or early 70's shirt!"
Joe South, excellent Musician of the 1960's
RebIrish441 | The Sunny South | 11/29/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Georgia guy makes good! and makes great music from the mid-60's.
This is an excellent cd of his best songs during the Woodstock era.
This cd is very clear and showcases Joe's lush, baritone vocals in every
song featured in this collection. His interpretation of the songs here
are soulful and powerful.
AT age 12, my friend, Melanie and I were at a venue, with my Mom and
Dad, somewhere in Atlanta in 1969. The location escapes me, however,
the music was wonderful. So, here we are, I was a red-headed freckled faced
Irish kid, Melanie had blue eyes and lovely long blonde hair to her waist.
When Joe finished a set, he welcomed the crowd to Atlanta and to his small
concert in the middle of the store. Look at the crowd, he announced.
" And here is what it's all about, our reason to live, our children,
our beautiful Georgia children! " I just knew he was going to grab Melanie and put her on the stage to show off these ' beautiful Georgia
children' Imagine my shock, when he leaned down from this stage and
pulled me up into his arms and onto the stage!! I nearly fainted from
sheer excitment. Then, he kissed me!!! WOW!!!
I never forgot his kindness that day, and picking me over my friend,
who did, in fact, grow up to be a Georgia beauty.
Thanks Joe, wherever, you are now.
This Georgia girl still thinks you're the coolest!"
Joe South Is Not Country/Western.
Roy F. Lauper | Greensburg, PA USA | 12/21/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"A few years ago I told someone on the internet about a certain song by Joe South (Walk A Mile In My Shoes). Well that person was excited that I liked country music too. But was stunned to learn that Joe South had nothing to do with C/W. Now I don't know what Joe's up to these days, but his music at the time were of life lessons. Civil Rights issues, and the new age of man-kind."
Reminder of an Icon
Kevin L. Nenstiel | Kearney, Nebraska | 02/26/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Joe South's fire burned fast and hard, leaving behind enough solid-gold work that music will never forget he was there. This sampling of his Muscle Shoals rock-and-soul, with a hearty dose of C&W for good measure, puts on one disc the tracks that made him an icon, as a songwriter and a musician. At this sweet price, it's nice to have these tracks by someone who's been unjustly forgotten by a world he helped transform.
Several songs on this list were hits for other artists. From Billy Joe Royal to Elvis Presley, South's songs penetrated the business in a hurry. Hearing the songwriter's version is enlightening. For instance, Lynn Anderson's version of "Rose Garden" is probably cleaner, and it's no surprise she had the hit. But South's original version of "Hush" has a ringing clarity that Deep Purple could only wish to recapture.
It's also notable how many tracks are socially engaged, and more important, how they haven't dated. There's a reason "Games People Play" remains legendary, but "These Are Not My People" and "Children," though not well known, have a similar engagement with the problems of the world. Joe South was a Georgia-flavored conscience for a world that needs to question itself more often, and his songs remain remarkably pertinent.
Joe South continues to write and record, though his hit-maker days are past. This collection of his work at the peak of his popularity is an affordable reminder of what makes musical greatness, and what heights American music can aspire to reach. Joe South is a legend of the same stripe as Gram Parsons, he deserves to be remembered, and these tracks make remembering easy and inexpensive."