Customer Reviews

Collection

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

 

 

Many r'n'b artists came and went during the 60's but Billy Stewart truly stood out beyond the crowd in spite of not having been given the deserved recognition then or yet. He gave to his music a much wider dimension than many of his peers and while some may say it was more a novelty than a style, you have to appreciate his voice as well - more listenable, more engaging than most of his contemporaries. Fortunately, there are a few competent collections, if not totally comprehensive ones, that offer the listener the opportunity to appreciate this seldom recognized talent.

This collection from the U.K.-based Connoisseur label heads the list. While the Universal piece from a few years ago is excellent, this newer collection does fulfill the collector's wishes a little better in that it contains every charting hit he had. Also, the track of "Summertime" offered here is the longer lp version, a stunning piece not bound by the limitations of the shorter single version.

Production-wise, this is well-executed overall with respectable sound quality and most tracks in stereo (1-3,6-8,13 in mono). An eight-page liner notes booklet provides a musical bio and track details.

While the domestic MCA piece is a worthwhile package, this CD, even with its higher pricetag, gets the edge. In any event, Stewart's music has a definite place in any 60's soul collector's musical library.

My problem is with the person who is trying to sell this CD for almost 1700 dollars. I'm sure that he meant 17.00. The Chess collection on MCA is better, cheaper and has more songs on it. Nice remastering too.