Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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61 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest? Or Merely The Best..., May 29, 2000
Ask someone to name the greatest soul singer, the one who could really testify on any subject, and you'll hear Sam Cooke's name, and those of Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, or Marvin Gaye. Less frequently, the names of James Carr and O.V. Wright pop up. The reason O.V. Wright belongs in this select circle lies in the effect he had on his audience; the feeling he brought across. O.V. hurt like no one ever hurt! He really could make you feel what it's like to be a deeply religious man too often tempted by worldly desires. Do you want to know pain? Just listen to "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" or "Eight Men, Four Women." Want to feel what it's like for a man to be deperate and just heartbeats from going over the edge? Check out "A Nickel And A Nail." And O.V. could move your feet, too, as on "Blind, Crippled and Crazy" and "I Don't Want To Sit Down." A couple of real gems here are the supremely hurtful, "He's My Son, Just The Same" and the eerily prohetic, "I'm Going Home To Live With God." (James Carr's "You've Got My Mind Messed Up" is about the only more ironic cut you'll find!) These songs were recorded by Wright for Back Beat records. O.V.'s post-Back Beat career, while uneven, has been well-documented in re-issues by Hi Records. The only other essential cut you won't find here is his classic, "That's How Strong My Love Is," which was issued by Goldwax, before the owner of Back Beat Records filed a lawsuit. This track can be found on the Ripete Records release, "Soul Patrol." O.V. Wright was truly, as he loved to boast on record, the "Ace Of Spades." If you are unfamiliar with O.V. Wright, but love soul music, you owe it to yourself to check this out. But be forewarned: the emotion here is deep, and the tension is real and almost unbearable. That's really, after all, what soul music is supposed to be all about.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
O.V. Wright is the definition of Soul, December 27, 2004
I don't know why I've never herd of O.V. until recently. I honestly first picked up on him after looking through the credits of a rap album. The sample listed was O.V.'s "Motherless Child" and based on that song and the reviews here I got the album. I really didn't think `The Soul of...' would be as good as it ended up being. A lot of the music sounds similar to an Al Green song ("I've Been Searching", "I'm Going Home" etc.), but his voice has a much deeper Sam Cooke sound to it. I'll admit that I skip over a couple of the songs on the album, but the good songs are so strong it practically blows you away. I got four other soul albums at the same time as O.V. and this one surprisingly was the best of them.
If you love soul music and you've never even herd of O.V. Wright, I would highly recommend adding this album to your collection. Do Not Hesitate!
Favorite tracks: "When You Took Your Love From Me", "Born All Over", "Ace of Spades", "A Nickel and a Nail", "Drowning on Dry Land", "I've Been Searching", "Motherless Child", "I'm Going Home".
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Epitome Of Southern Soul, July 6, 2004
O.V.Wright is one of the best "Southern Soul" singers to ever live and he also recorded two songs that represent "Southern Soul" more than any others-1965's Top 10 "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" and 1967's Top 10 "Eight Men And Four Women". These two songs were O.V.'s only Top 10's on the R&B charts although 1970's "Ace Of Spade" was just shy peaking at #11 in the late part of 1970. I can't rate him better than Sam Cooke or Jackie Wilson or Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett or Sam Moore or Joe Tex, but what I can do is rate him equal to those singers- and that's a darn good class to be in.This is the deep "Southern Soul" sound at it's best.
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by O.V. Wright 
