Top of the Stax: 20 Greatest Hits

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 12, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Stax
• ASIN: B000000ZMQ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,816 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Hold On! I'm Comin'

2. Knock on Wood

3. Respect Yourself

4. I'll Take You There

5. B-A-B-Y

6. Woman to Woman

7. I'll Be the Other Woman

8. Cheaper to Keep Her

9. I Forgot to Be Your Lover

10. Who's Making Love?

11. That's What Love Will Make You Do

12. Mr. Big Stuff

13. (Do the) Push and Pull, Pt. 1

14. Green Onions

15. Starting All over Again

16. In the Rain

17. So I Can Love You

18. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

19. I've Been Lonely for So Long

20. Theme from Shaft

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love (of Soul) Keeps Them Together, February 23, 2000

By 

Anthony G Pizza "trivialtony" (FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Top of the Stax: 20 Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

The Stax/Volt story has two acts: the first, when the label was run by Atlantic Records and featured the royalty of Southern soul (Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Carla Thomas, Booker T. & The MGs) and act two, when Atlantic took its share of the label's masters and, after a short period of continued success, the label faded away.

The reunion of one of popular music's richest libraries occurred some years later. "Top Of The Stax" becomes a one-disc, 20-year joyride of classic R&B from the label's first #1 (Booker T & The MG's groovin' "Green Onions") to its last (Issac Hayes' sweeping signature song, "Theme From Shaft.") Along the way, you hear from father Rufus Thomas (the salacious "Push and Pull") and daughter Carla (the sweet "B-A-B-Y"). Johnny Taylor shows up with two ceritified gold hits, the hard-hitting "Who's Making Love" and the bouncy "Cheaper To Keep Her." The Dramatics and the Soul Children chime in with two Quiet Storm ballads, and Little Milton slaps the blues with the R&B Top 10 "That's What Love Will Make You Do." You'll know these songs; they've been covered by every rock n' roll bad boy from Mick Jagger to Billy Idol to the Blues Brothers. But nothing beats the originals heard here. Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a KILLER collection, November 9, 2006

By 

Scott B. Saul "opinionated, yet truthful, mu... (COOPER CITY, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Top of the Stax: 20 Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

When you listen to this, you cannot help but say to yourself "how incredible the talent roster was for this record label". Not only did you have this very special array of vocalists but, for the most part, it was the same house band playing on all of these memorable songs.

Stax will always have their nemesis, Motown, but they should not be considered competitors. Both labels were great yet they were apples and oranges, completely different. Motown was pretty and melodic while Stax was funky and dirty. Stax also had a much more muscular sound, musically, so their house musicians got a lot more accolades. I enjoy Motown but I love Stax!

There is no need to talk about song highlights since these are all classic hits. The nice thing here is that Stax gave you variety. You have funk, you have duets, you have love gone bad, you have man hating female vocalists, you have bluesman, you have thumping bass and greasy guitar, you have killer horn sections, you got Jean Knight singing "Mr Big Shot"...this has everything...pretty, hard, loud, soft etc.

For the Stax fanatic, you will know all the songs but most people are not fanatics they are simply just loooking for a great compilation. If that is you, you will say to yourself "I did not know all of these great artists and songs came from the same label".

This cd works on many levels. It is a great compilation of classic soul songs, it satisfies the hard core collector who wants all of these tunes, it operates as a GREAT party cd/driving cd and lastly, it is a piece of history that showcases how the South interpreted soul.

If you like this then there is a part II with slightly more obscure tunes, a lot funkier and bluesier, yet just as satisfying.

DO NOT BE FOOLISH, BUY THIS!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply The Best!, January 24, 2000

By 

John P (Santa Monica, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Top of the Stax: 20 Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

Dear Listeners,

This is one of the hottest, funkiest, most thoroughly enjoyable collections I have ever heard. In contrast to the over-produced soul of Motown, this Stax music is grittier and much more emotionally authentic. It's as if you wandered into a very cool down-home club on a Saturday night and, sitting there in the dark, you are amazed as one great artist after another takes the stage and simply blows you away. GET THIS CD !