A sequel of sorts to
Bear Family
's amazing
R&B
series
Blowin' the Fuse
-- which covered the growth of
from 1945 to 1960 and its evolution into
soul
-- the
Sweet Soul Music
series picks things up from there, and charts the unfolding of
music in all of its incarnations from 1961 to 1970 through ten wonderfully packaged and assembled sets arranged chronologically and drawing on all of the music's major players, from
Motown
and
Chess
to
Stax
Atlantic
and beyond. It's an impressive achievement in licensing and vision, and each volume features
's usual care and attention to detail, but what makes it all work, of course, is the music, which is as delightful to hear as it is historically vital. This volume covers the year 1966 and includes classics like
the Temptations
'
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg,"
Marvin Gaye
's
"Ain't That Peculiar,"
Sam & Dave
"Hold On! I'm Comin',"
the Capitols
"Cool Jerk,"
and so much more. Every track shines and reveals new joys by affiliation -- listening to these 29 sides is like time traveling back to a beautiful summer's night and a long drive with the top down. This is what
does so well, turning out collections of essential music lovingly assembled, remastered, and restored. Sweet is exactly the right word for each of the ten volumes in this series. ~ Steve Leggett