Rating:
Genre:
Blues
Release Date: 01/10/2006
Whoa. There are many
Etta James collections out there. The standard-bearers thus far have been the
Chess Box and the
Essential Etta James. This set attempts to do something else and goes deep into her catalog to dig out the gems from her years with
Modern,
Argo,
Cadet,
Chess,
Warner Brothers,
Island, and
Private Music/BMG, and presents the full spectrum of her five-decade career. As such, there are many different kinds of songs here revealing the complexity of the vocalist herself, and as such, thus becomes a real portrait of the artist. Juxtapose, for instance, early sides like
"The Wallflower Dance (Dance With Me Henry)," with its wild
R&B bravado and the
deep soul-
blues of
"All I Could Do Is Cry," the balladry of
"The Man I Love," the bone-crushing
blues of
"The Sky Is Crying," and the
torch song ballad technique on
"My Dearest Darling," and the despairing
soul inherent in songs such as
"All the Way Down," and the listener begins to get an idea of just how vast and deep
James talent really is. These 23 cuts give a fine and full picture of all that diversity without sacrificing a note of quality. This is a fine introduction to
James for those listeners who have become acquainted with her in recent years, and a decent look at the later material for those cynical purists who think it was over and done by 1970. Recommended.
~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
;)
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