Customer Reviews

Best of the Hi Records Years

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Althought largely forgotten now,"I Cant Stand the Rain" singer Ann Peebles was once one of the most promising souls singers.Throught 70-ies she sparkled via excellent song choice - not gifted vocally as Aretha,but nevertheless convincing singer,she had luck to be backed by producer Willie Mitchell who provided famed Hi-sound around her (her male counterpart being Al Green).Listener also have to notice her adult lyrics,songs are all recorded through 70-ies but lyrics are fresh as always.As this single CD overwiew shows,she started strongly (several songs here are real killers) but unfortunatelly once when she hit big with "I Can't Stand the Rain",it was obvious that production team wanted to follow the formula and her succes eventually vaned,later part of CD shows why - you can't repeat same sound,hoping to find hit again.Ann Peebles didnt change,her voice stayed expressive as always,but songs became sound-alike.Excellent liner notes by author David Nathan ("Soulful Divas") follow her rise but he is very tactfull in explaining why she dissapeared from the top ("Ann's hit-making power seemed to diminish") - in truth,Peebles didnt change her style and her songs started to sound too similar.This is very good CD and it has everything you need to own from Ann Peebles,one of Soul's music legends who were later overshadowed by better-selling names.Althought she started to sound repetative eventually,she didnt sell out and this CD is surprisingly often in my player.

I was lucky enough to see Peebles when she toured in the mid-'90s (in San Francisco) and have to say, though I missed the incredible background singers (those *white* Chalmers-Rhodes-Chalmers girls) and Willie Mitchell's crackling arrangements, she was still in great form.
Simply one of the most underrated soul singers of her era, and her style is well showcased in this sampling from her glory days with Mitchell's Hi Records. Peebles is not a flashy singer with unbelievable chops like Aretha or Mavis Staples, but she has a grit and an absolute authority that puts her in their class. It's impossible not to believe every word she says. A MUST for fans of classic soul. It didn't hurt that she was associated with one of the great soul producers in Mitchell, whose best arrangements ("I Can't Stand the Rain," e.g.) are unique in the genre.

...and wondered if 'understated' was still a word, 'The Best of Ann Peebles: The Hi Records Years' is for you. It's guaranteed to restore equilibrium to your musical universe.

Loved by r&b fans and rock musicians alike (Bob Seger covered "Come To Mama", and Graham Parker did likewise with "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down"), Ann Peebles is a master of simmering restraint. What her sublime delivery is able to convey is a thing of beauty--even without the yelping so many female singers think is 'emoting' in these, the days of Patti Labelle, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and their 'American Idol' clones.

Her signing with Hi Records was an act of celestial confluence, her unadorned delivery a perfect fit for the Hi Records house band's lean, spare chops. "Part Time Love", "I Can't Stand the Rain", "A Love Vibration" and "Come To Mama" are bare-bones, propulsive funk, the sister to recordings by Al Green and Syl Johnson.

There's nothing fancy about the music here, or the broad, flat flood plains of west Tennessee from which it sprang. But like the deceptively relaxed current of the Mississippi, this music will grab you and won't let go.

Take the plunge.

Ann Peebles grew up in the St. Louis area but became more popular in Memphis. These recordings are evident of the Memphis Sound of that era (Stax / Volt). She is very much an Etta James type sound. Put that over Booker T. and the MGs (plus the Memphis Horns).

There is nothing flashy here, but definately a definitive example of Ann Peebles at her best.

She is very earthy and has plenty of range.

Good record for your soul collection.

It is music that you can ride domn the highway on and be comfortable with.

I am new to Ann Peebles, and I have to say that I am a little disappointed in the quality of this CD. Ann herself is great, and the CD has to potential to be great, but I found that on several of the songs, Ann sounds either like she's in a tunnel or I have cotton in my ears. I think that it's a function of poor quality recording and/or remastering. There are plenty of tunes on here, though, and my solution is to copy it to my computer's Media Library and then delete the individual songs that I think have poor sound quality and just not listen to them. Of course, there's always the possibility that the copy I bought last month is defective, but I don't think that's the case, since many of the songs sound just fine. Perhaps you should spend your money on a different Ann Peebles collection. It's worth spending your money on her, just not this particular CD... although it is pretty inexpensive!

So some of you thought that Tina Turner said it all ha? Well you're bloody wrong! Because this 21 track single CD by the
legedary Ann Peebles The Best Of The Hi Records Years /Hi Records-The Right Stuff will convince you and prove to you
that this girl is the real stuff that others have sadly taken from her. Hail you Ann! And bless you that Tina realized you when she
recorded "I' Can't Stand The Rain' (the apple don't fall far from the tree , ha?). This collects her years at Hi Records from '69
to '78 and this CD is packed with full liner notes & pixs on this ladies wonderful output, plus all her great gems! A must for any
R & B lover or music lover at heart!

Her vocals may be similar to Esther Phillips, but the groove is totally Al Green. These are some nice mid-tempo songs and ballads recorded from 1969 to 1978. So if expecting Etta James or Millie Jackson type soul-stirring booty-shaking funk or powerhouse vocals, then this will disappoint. With that in mind, this is a nice set with some nice cuts including "I Didn't Take Your Man" [You gave him to me], "Somebody's On Your Case", "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On" (NOT the Supremes tune), "If This is Heaven" [send me to hell], and "(I Feel Like) Breaking Up Somebody's Home". Booklet includes an essay, minimal track information, and no discography.

Updated review:
The female Al Green - and much more (1969-1978)

Ann Peebles may be most notable for her composition "I Can't Stand the Rain", which was later covered by Tina Turner in 1984 and, more recently, used by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott for her 1997 hit "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".

THE BEST OF ANN PEEBLES: THE HI RECORDS YEARS consists of 21 songs from 1969-1978; the tracks are in semi-chronological order. Disc packaged in jewel case. Booklet includes an essay by David Nathan, a multitude of photographs and images, release dates and chart info for singles, and recording personnel.

Notable songs include "I Pity the Fool" (a hit for Bobby "Blue" Bland), "Come to Mama", "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On" (the Joe Simon 1968 hit, not the song by the Supremes), and "I Didn't Take Your Man", with a spoken-word one-sided conversation intro not unlike the monologs/raps of Millie Jackson.

The music is fun, funky, and Soulful. She may not have the vocal power of Etta James or Koko Taylor, but Ann Peebles can sing. And here, she sings some great material.

This CD is essential to anyone who is a fan and collector of great soul music. Ann Peebles packed a lot of wallop in that little bitty frame. The arrangements by Willie Mitchell are superb, and when you hear this CD, you know it is the real deal. Ann Peebles may not have had the range of, say, Aretha Franklin, but she really knew how to belt one out.

Ann Peebles has a distinct voice while being a unique singer. "I Can't Stand The Rain" was a favorite of mine years ago. I believe that songs that were sung by her were sung and some of them written from her heart. Some examples include, "I Can't Stand The Rain", "Part Time Love", "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down", "Somebody's On Your Case", "Beware", "Old Man With Young Ideas", "Didn't Take Your Man" and "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On." I believe that the explanation given about Ann Peebles' move to Tennessee to pursue her career was quite tactful, however misleading. The lyrics of, "I Can't Stand The Rain" discloses very haunting lyrics that I believe Ann Peebles can actually relate to. Ann Peebles avoidance of the media in certain areas was highly understandable.

I rated it a 3 due to the drama shown in the lyrics. A Billie Holliday - Ann Peebles is not.