Since the passing of
Lou Rawls
in early 2006,
Capitol
has been working overtime to document the singer's career. First was a collection of early
jazz
and
blues
recordings, then a two-fer containing two of
Rawls
' best mid-'60s recordings, and now something that
fans have never had before: a best-of collection that contains the man's hits from the '60s with
and his '70s hits with
Philadelphia International
. It isn't the definitive collection that listeners deserve, as it skips over his early
sides, his late-'60s
big-band
sessions with
Benny Carter
, and his '80s recordings on
Blue Note
-- but it is a start. All the big hits are here, like
"Dead End Street,"
"Love Is a Hurtin' Thing,"
"Your Good Thing (Is About to End),"
and his biggest,
"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine."
Also included is a wide range of tracks that show just how impressive
' gift truly was. Whether he is singing funky
gospel
(
"Trouble Here Below"
),
smooth soul
with a message (
"Natural Man"
uptown soul
"You Can Bring Me All Your Heartaches"
disco
"Lady Love"
), or lush
pop
"Down Here on the Ground"
), he sounds definitive and natural, like he could have sung just about anything and made it all his.
The Very Best of Lou Rawls: You'll Never Find Another
is a very fine introduction to the casual fan and a reminder to everyone that
was a true vocal giant. ~ Tim Sendra