Although the `60s are generally acknowledged as the heyday of soul, this five-CD Billboard series makes a persuasive argument for the early `70s.
It documents the last golden age of R & B, catching it on the cusp of the disco era. It`s interesting, too, that most of these hits didn`t come from artists from New York or Los Angeles, but from cities such as Chicago (Chi-Lites, Staple Singers), Detroit (Jackson 5, Temptations), Memphis (Al Green, Jean Knight) and Philadelphia (Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Paul).
From the timeless yearning of Brook Benton`s ”Rainy Night in Georgia,”
Bill Withers` ”Lean on Me” and George McCrae`s ”Rock Your Baby” to the funk of James Brown`s ”Super Bad” and King Floyd`s ”Groove Me,” this series reveals the enormous stylistic sweep and emotional grandeur of soul music`s last great era.
Ratings: Excellent (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Good (STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Fair
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