Customer Reviews

Rock Instrumental Classics 4: Soul

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rhino Records is one of the most consistent producers of quality oldies collections. This, the fourth volume in their "rock" instrumental series is no exception. One of the distinctive qualities of Rhino collections is that they combine familiar hits with great rare sides. Although called "Soul," this volume really should be called the second part of the 1960's volume, like "The '60's: Soul."

Predictably, this volume starts off with arguably the most enduring instrumental from the early 1960's, "Green Onions" by Booker T. & the MG's. Also included in the volume are three other fine tracks by them: "Hang 'Em High," "Hip Hug-Her," and "Time is Tight." I was particularly happy about the inclusion of the latter track, because it is noticeably excluded from Atlantic Records R&B box set. Interestingly enough, a good number of the tracks in this volume were also in Atlantic's collection, clearly demonstrating their dominance in 1960's soul music.

Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass" (from his great "Promise of a Future" album) was my favorite recording as a kid and was also my first taste of so called "world music." Hugh Masekela's trumpet is absolutely captivating. I can never get enough of this recording.

Other familiar gems from this volume are "Soulful Strut" (Young-Holt Unlimited), "Viva Tirado" (El Chicano), and "Last Night" (Mar-Keys). There aren't too many "classics" missing in this collection.

This volume also introduced me to some rare gems including "The Horse" (Cliff Nobles & Co.) and "Twine Time" (Alvin Cash & the Crawlers). The latter rivals the Bar-Kay's "Soul Finger" (also included in this volume) as a great party record. I can just hear people shouting "Ooh! Aah!" much in the same way as people would shout "Soul finger" on the Bar-Kay's record.

Although I think this is a great collection and worthy of five stars, I have two admittedly minor criticisms. The first one is the inclusion of "El Watusi" by Ray Barretto y su Charanga Moderna. While the track is not without appeal, it is extremely repetitive almost to the point of being monotonous. Another is the fact that with the exception of "Soul Makossa" (Manu Dibango) and "Viva Tirado," all of the tracks on this volume are from the 1960's. The collection would have been better served by having the "Soul" volume split into two parts -- one for the 1960's and one for the 1970's (perhaps also including the 1980's). That way such stellar cuts such as "Always There" (Ronnie Laws & Pressure), "Solar Flight - Opus 1" (Mandre) and "Machine Gun" (The Commodores) could also been included. The 1950's R&B instrumentals are well represented in "The '50's" volume of the collection.

Nit-picking aside, this is a fine volume from Rhino's instrumental series. If you love soul music and instrumentals, this volume is definitely a must have. Even if you're not sure, check out the volume anyway, it's bound to make you a believer.

This is a great collection of soul instrumentals. Every single track here made the Pop Top 40. There is not a single bad track here. The CD begins and ends with Booker T. & The M.G's, and rightly so, since they were the most dominant soul instrumental group of all time. In between, you get one great instrumental after another. Highly recommended.

Other than on a Booker T and the MG's Greatest Hits album, one would be hard pressed to find these hits, near hits, and obscure classics elsewhere. Where else will you find Manu Dibangu's heavily saxed "Soul Makossa", or Cannonball Adderley's "Mercy Mercy Mercy"?

No bait-and-switch here. This is a fantastic grouping of classic soul instrumentals. Heavilly influenced by the MG's (I would have loved to see Billy Preston's "Outa Space" traded for "Green Onions", for example), it is still worth every penny.

As Dobie Gray's vocal version of "The In Crowd" so aptly proclaims: "Other guys immitate us, but the originals are still the greatest"! All original, most great.

It's sixties soul, distilled on one disc that you'll play again and again. From the expected -- "Green Onions" and "In Crowd" -- to the more recherche "Twine Time" and "Watermelon Man," there's not a bad one in this crowd. I missed a couple of my own favorites -- "Tighten It Up," for one -- but's who's complaining? Not me. I'm too busy ponying to the beat!

The best of the five instrumental CD's. Not a wack track in the stack. All right, a few are silly (it's hard not to laugh at Alvin Cash's announcement that "It's TWINE...time!"), but they'll all keep you and your party moving. Four tracks by Booker T & the MG's might have been slight overkill, but you can't argue with the results.

While not all of these tracks made an impact on the pop charts, they are all important selections that make up the heart of instrumental soul music. Good sound and liner notes enhance this collection of all original versions.

As with the other albums in this series (1.-the 50's, 2.-the 60's 3.-the 70's and 5.-Surf) Vol.4-Soul is yet another solid collection from Rhino Records. Hey, there's four Booker T and the MG's songs on this one CD! That alone make it worth it. Personally, I have been looking for Twine time by Alvin Cash and the Crawlers for 40 years! (Yea, I know-Old Guy) The Transfer quality is very good considering that the available master tapes are more than 40 years old. Bottom line: if you are looking for Soul instrumentals, stop looking. Your'e there.

There are so many great instrumentals here. How fitting it begins and ends with Booker T And The MG's. The Classic Green Onions Starts it off and ends with Time Is Tight. Other great one's like Grazing In The Grass, Soulful Strut,The Horse You don't Hear these on oldies radio much except as backround music when the dj's are talking and you are left clueless as to what the title of the songs are. This is a great set Rhino put out. If You love all this soul and the other discs get this set.

I am extremely happy with this CD. I recognized only half of the 18 tracks by their titles before ordering, but the ones I did recognize were good enough to sell me on the CD.

It turned out when I first played this CD that all of the songs that I had failed to recognize by title were very familiar tunes and very good ones. This was a very pleasant surprise.

This is a great CD! I remind everyone that I intend to save the "five star" rating for CDs that just absolutely blow me out of the water, so the four star that I gave this CD means that I really, really like it and heartily recommend it. I have just started buying and reviewing classic rock CDs, so I have not as yet given a five star rating to any CDs.

Go ahead and order this one!

Tom

It is a great cd. I already had the three other cds now this completes the set of four. A great mixture of songs .I am very pleased with this. Agnes.