Sweet Soul Music: 1965 [PA]

Performer: Various Artists
Producer: Dave Booth (Reissue)
Distributor: Infinity Entertainment Gr

Notes: Liner Note Author: Bill Dahl. Introduction by: Dave Booth. Noted soul scholar Dave "Daddy Cool" Booth has compiled all 10 volumes of the Bear Family's fine SWEET SOUL MUSIC series, but his selections for this, the fifth volume in the series, are particularly apt. This time around, Booth has chosen chart-topping hits as well as influential underground favorites from every part of the land, from the reverent Chicago-bred harmonies of the Impressions' landmark single "People Get Ready" to the syncopated New Orleans rhythms of Lee Dorsey's "Ride Your Pony." Given the staggering volume of classic soul compilations on the market, sometimes it requires more than just an outstanding selection of music to stand out from the rest. In the case of Bear Family's Sweet Soul Music series, each entry is distinguished by the lavish, thoughtful packaging that is the reissue label's hallmark: the mastering is pristine (better than has ever been heard on even the major artists) and the accompanying booklets are authoritative (averaging 60 pages in length, stuffed with color photos, track by track commentary, and related recording data). In short, it's the rare retrospective that's as educational as it is entertaining. And while the series doesn't yield any rare or unreleased material, it does offer a complete portrait of each year in question, licensing tracks from the Motown, Atlantic, Stax, and Chess labels (among others) to create a true panoramic overview of soul music's epic scope and scale. Highlights of the 1965 effort include the Impressions' "People Get Ready," Barbara Lewis' "Baby I'm Yours," the Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears," and Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long." ~ Jason Ankeny

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