Music » Classic R & B Music

A towering figure in postwar American music, for over 40 years James Brown has written, produced, and performed some of the most compelling R&B ever recorded. 20 All Time Greatest Hits! distills Startime!, itself a four-CD set that barely scratched the surface of Brown's prodigious output. As such, this collection concentrates on Brown's best-known records: "I Feel Good," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," and "Cold Sweat." The propulsive one- or two-chord vamps with Brown's hoarse, declamatory vocals laid the groundwork for modern funk. It's a perfect starter set for anyone unfamiliar with Brown's work. But be warned--Brown is addictive. Like peanuts and potato chips, it's impossible to stop with just one. Buy this and don't be surprised if one day you find yourself scouring used record bins for a rare copy of Grits and Cornbread. --Steven Mirkin

Now we have Greatest Hits, a 22-song collection of Cooke's pop hits in addition to the 13-song Best Of collection and the 28-song The Man and His Music. Only The Man comes close to presenting a complete portrait of the legendary soul singer: At least there are examples of Cooke's gospel and R&B material. (Any collection without "A Change is Gonna Come" is an automatic failure.) Cooke's melodious voice and deft songwriting touch are worthy of more than a single-disc compilation. If you want just the pop smashes, the sublime ballads, and infectious mellow grooves, this set will suffice. Otherwise, The Man offers a more comprehensive and well-rounded look at Cooke's legacy. --Marc Greilsamer

No Description Available.
Genre: Soul/R&B
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 17-JUN-2003

One of the best-known and best-loved R&B vocal groups of all-time, The Drifters were blessed with some great lead singers (Clyde McPhatter & Ben E. King), great songwriters (Leiber & Stoller, Pomus & Shuman) and great producers (Phil Spector, Bert Berns). Despite many personnel changes, they scored an amazing 11 top-20 records between 1959 and 1964, and are still on the oldies touring circuit today. This compilation album contains an excellent sampling of the group's pop classics and showcases their smooth harmonies. Features 16 total tracks including 'There Goes My First Love', 'Hello Happiness', 'Summer In The City', 'Like Sister And Brother', 'Like A Movie I've Seen Before' and more. RCA. 2005.

Release Date: 2003-10-13, Audio CD, Rhino Flashback

Release Date: 2004-03-23, Audio CD, Polydor / Umgd

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: MCCANN/HARRIS
Title: SWISS MOVEMENT-MONTREUX 30TH A
Street Release Date: 06/18/1996
Domestic
Genre: JAZZ

Release Date: 1992-09-22, Audio CD, Polydor / Umgd

Limited Edition import-only vinyl LP repressing of this album. Universal. 2007.

A 28-track best-of giving conclusive proof that soul's doomed golden boy was a singer of exquisite control and grace. Opening with a couple of Soul Stirrers gospel gems, The Man & His Music packs together most of Cooke's great pop sides, from the airily lovely "You Send Me" all the way to the majestic "A Change Is Gonna Come." Some of the cuts are more twee than others--it's rare that he touches the soulful pinnacles of "Bring It on Home to Me" or "That's Where It's At," and too often he descends to dross like "When a Boy Falls in Love." Even on the more winsome hits, though, he remains a peerless vocal artist. And when you finally get to "Change," it's hard not to feel despair at Cooke's premature death. --Barney Hoskyns