Search - Various Artists :: Soul Shots, Vol. 3: A Collection of Sixties Soul Classics

Some huge hits and a couple forgotten gems

Greg Brady | Capital City | 03/22/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Compilations are tough to pull off. Rhino has made a name for itself by assembling quality selections together with great packaging. This might not satisfy a real soul fanatic, but it's a fine assemblage of songs.



HIGHLIGHTS:

While most of the best tracks here are fairly well-known ("It's All Right" from the Impressions,Brenton Wood's "Gimme Little Sign") some others that might not be are great also. If you've not heard the Marvelows punchy brass workout "I Do" you're in for a treat. People who only know "I'm Your Puppet" will be pleased by James and Bobby Purify's "Let Love Come Between Us". The courtroom drama of "Eight Men,Four Women" is unlikely but O.V. Wright makes you want to believe him. Most youngsters probably had no idea who the Dells were when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted them but a listen to "Stay in My Corner" tells you why they're there.



LOWS:

Edwin Starr's "Double O Soul" will no doubt be beloved by some as nostalgia, but the lyric is too silly to sound good these days. I'll stick with "War" and "25 Miles", thank you. Sarah Vaughan's best suit is her jazzy standards. "Smooth Operator" just seemed like an ill fit for her.



SUMMARY:

It's a fairly decent collection with some huge hits in the original artist, original recording versions and some nice tunes you may not be familiar with. It does get docked a bit for not bothering to include the chart positions the songs herein reached. (For the record, I had trouble locating the info as well, but I can tell there are AT LEAST 6 Top 10 R&B hits represented here..."It's All Right" was #1 R&B)



3 1/2 stars"