Customer Reviews

The Titan of Soul

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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.

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.