The Titan of Soul [Import]

Jackie Wilson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 9, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Import
• Label: Edsel Records
• ASIN: B00000DCIV
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #633,188 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Reet Petite

2. To Be Loved

3. Doggin' Around

4. New Girl In Town

5. ALl My Love

6. A Woman, A Lover, A Friend

7. Alone At Last

8. Am I The Man

9. Cry

10. My Yiddishe Momme

11. The Tear Of The Year

12. St. James Infirmary

13. My Empty Arms

14. Please Tell Me Why

15. You One And Only Love

16. I'm Coming Back To You

17. Years From Now

18. You Don't Know What It Means

19. The Greatest Hurt

20. I Just Can't Help It

See all 66 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of the legend's career, September 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Titan of Soul (Audio CD)

For those of you unfamiliar with Jackie Wilson, he is quite simply one of the greatest r&b vocalists of all-time, often engaging in some great on-stage showdowns with that other r&b/soul legend, Sam Cooke. Almost nobody had the vocal chops Jackie had; he had an amazing range, a wild sense of phrasing, and was known for some great over-the-top, vocal acrobatics that would just enrapture the audience. (It's just amazing to see him live, too; he was so smooth and dexterous on stage, he would drop to his knees and slide right back up with impossible ease).

Having said that, his record label was notorious for overproducing his earlier records, often layering on too many strings, sugary back-up singers, and other arrangements that were just poor taste. Jackie's singing would often fight these arrangements tooth and nail; sometimes he'd win, and sometimes he was just overwhelmed. However, this wasn't always the case, and this box set does a good service by collecting nearly every worthy recording Jackie did. There are still some tracks that are marred by bad production, but Jackie's singing is always consistent. There are also quite a number of tracks were they manage to give Jackie a good song and a good arrangement, and these songs are pure heaven. "Reet Petite" is one of the all-time greats, and "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me" (recorded later when he worked with people more sensitive to his approach) is simply immortal, an absolute, pure slice of euphoria that should be blasted from every rooftop in the world.

There was a better box set released by Rhino in 1992 that went out of print a few years ago; it had more songs and, in my opinion, better mastering. "Titan of Soul" may not be as good, but for now, it's the best retrospective available of a great, neglected artist.

If you want a cheaper alternative, I recommend finding "The Very Best of Jackie Wilson," a budget CD produced by Rhino. It has almost all the major hits, and it's perfect for a more casual fan or those on a budget.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview, November 11, 2001

By 

A customer "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Titan of Soul (Audio CD)

Jackie Wilson was The Michael Jackson of His time in a League all His Own.Jackie sung with alot of Soul&Emotion.this Box set puts His Legacy into full context&what He meant.He was one of a kind as a Artist.you get the full details on the Arrangements&His Power at finding His Groove.