Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Say Hello To A Good Buy!, August 20, 2001
Atlantic Records has the richest, most-luminous recorded archives in the history of American music--with the possible exception of Chicago's Chess Records.I don't actually have this box set--I have the seven volume set on vinyl which was re-released in the mid-eighties. But the track listing remains the same, and the music is beyond compare. Like any box set worth the price of admission, it should illuminate. Not just regurgitate the hits, but serve-up worthy, but largely-unknown, nuggets. It should tell a story. And this does. From Tommy Ridgley's "Jam Up" to the Persuaders' "Fine Line Between Love And Hate" to well-known hits by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, the Spinners and LaVern Baker, this is no-less than a music appreciation course on compact disc. A history of rhythm and blues' fascinating transformation into soul. The words 'classic' and 'absolutely essential' are laughably over-used, but they genuinely apply to this box. Shame on amazon.com for not naming this an essential recording. Aside from food, water and oxygen, it doesn't get any more essential than this. Or put another way, I'd marry--sight unseen--any woman with this in her collection. It (and she, no doubt) are that good.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A definitive collection from R & B's defining label, December 17, 2001
What does one say about an eight CD, 203 track collection from the most important rhythm and blues label? The first word is `definitive', the second is `superb.'The Atlantic label under Ahmet Ertegun assembled one of the richest archives of tracks of any company and this collection serves up an amazing swathe through thirty years of popular music revealing along the way the development of the musical sound we now call R & B. Along with well known artists and tracks there are lesser known tracks by the greats ("Drown In My Own Tears" recorded by Ray Charles an excellent example), tracks you recognise but never knew the artist ("Lucky Lips" by Ruth Brown) and unknown gems (hard to specify since you might have known about Ivory Joe Turner while personally his "Empty Arms" was a surprise to me.) Personally I found the first CD good for historical reasons; to hear the Chicago based Atlantic sound emerge from the more southern soul sound. The eighth and final CD is a testament to how far down a good label can go when it is immersed in a corporate environment. The words `disco' and `dreck' spring to mind. Why Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway felt they needed to cut such a woeful version of "You've Got A Friend", but even at the last there are jewels such as a few good tracks from the "Spinners" The six in between are perfection. Think of an R & B artist and chances are there are at least two or three tracks of theirs in the collection. Ray Charles, The Drifters (fronted by both Clyde McPhatter and Ben E. King), Joe Turner, LaVern Baker, The Coasters, Solomon Burke, Joe Tex, Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave - and that's just hitting the highlights. This collection goes beyond essential. Anyone who professes a love or understanding of popular music needs this set.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Atlantic leads the field in rhythm & blues.", June 9, 2005
So it says on a 1950s-era paper sleeve for an Atlantic Records single. When you think about it from what you heard, what you saw, and what is in the stats, it's not just a simple promotional phrase. Rhythm and blues was increasingly making its mark on music at the close of the `40s and into the '50s. This kind of music was being marketed by small independent labels that
came out by the dozen starting in the few short years after World War II. When you take a couple of all around great guys who absolutely love music, a musical trend that was just waiting to grow from its tiny seed to something no one at the time knew it would grow into a monster, a $10,000 loan from a dentist, lo and behold you got a label that smells of success. From that, in
October 1947, Atlantic was born. This mammoth box set practically takes you on a dazzling musical journey of the label's roots in R&B and flows through the years showing how it progressed. Chronicling 27 golden years, the 203 selections presented indicate the immeasurable impact R&B from
Atlantic made on 20th century American music.
Disc One (1947-1952) features some of the first historic cuts that weren't exactly fully jazz or fully bop but something totally new with a great, fresh tinge with artists like Joe Morris, Stick McGhee, Ruth Brown, The Clovers and some early Joe Turner. Disc Two (1952-1954) continues on and features
this new sound becoming hot and ever growing into something too big to ignore among disc jockeys and R&B jukeboxes. Artists include Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, Joe Turner, and Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters. Discs Three (1955-1957) and Four (1957-1960) shows how R&B made the crossover to white audiences and these records were selling fast. We see Ray Charles thrive as "the genius" along with Clyde McPhatter, LaVern Baker, a fun-loving group called the Coasters, the "new" Drifters, Chuck Willis and
more. Disc Five (1961-1965) sees R&B getting a bit pop tinged on Ben E. King's and the Drifters' recordings. However there's still plenty of raw, gritty R&B being pumped out as we hear the sound of southern R&B courtesy of the new partnership with Stax/Volt Records featuring the Mar-Keys, Booker T. & the M.G.s and Otis Redding. Disc Six (1965-1967) is arguably the best
disc in the whole set. Reason being is with the help of Stax/Volt, with many famous cuts from them, R&B turned into soul. Among the Stax/Volt greats are Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, and Booker T. and the M.G.s. Also there are the big smashes of Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Arthur Conley, Aretha Franklin, Joe Tex and more. It's probably the most excitable disc, no doubt. Discs Seven (1967-1969) and Eight (1970-1974)
display the continuation of gritty `60s soul, with the thriving of Aretha, the Bar-Kays, Clarence Carter, Archie Bell, Tyrone Davis and more, to the closing of an era glistened with some `70s funk and smooth soul from King Floyd, Betty Wright, Roberta Flack, the Persuaders, the Spinners and more.
There is so much to be said about this marvelous box set. Each CD has more than 20 songs, most have more than 25 and clock in with more than 70 minutes of music on each disc. It goes pretty fast once you start getting into the music and you absolutely can. It will make you dance like wild, bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye, make you laugh, sing along, reminisce, think, and dream. This is music; this was it was lived, breathed, ate, drank and slept. The influence of rhythm and blues on American music can not be measured for without it, what would music be, and without Ahmet and his founding Atlantic, how could music have thrived in this country? The answer, in my opinion: it would never, ever, EVER have been the same. Every single song on here is a masterpiece in its own way. Together this whole box set DOES reflect every human emotion ever known from celebrating life, finding love then losing it, happy, sad, dancing, etc. You name it; it's got it. I have never seen a box set so comprehensive; it puts other box sets, with the exception of "Stax/Volt Singles, Vol. 1", to absolute shame! Again, these songs reflect what we experience every day. Too numerous to mention, though. This box set is as all-American as the 4th of July, apple pie, hot dogs, a great old movie, cruising in a hot rod, ice cream cones, walks in the park, the joys of summer, young love, and just plain being alive. This is also practically a crash course on the history of 20th century American music, not just R&B. In fact, I highly recommend schools and colleges purchase this box set to offer as examples in music courses and in music research projects. If they were to construct a time capsule filled with items representing all the major events of the 20th century, this box set would definetly be in there. What's not to love about it? There's a 30-page booklet included with stories about all the artists and the songs, photographs plus the entire song list featuring who played on what song and where and when the songs were recorded. The inserts for the discs (individual cover art) shows very colorful picture collages. The cover art of the box itself is the most obvious, but the most ingenious. At first glance, it looks like it should be "The Atlantic Records Story" and, in a way, it's true. That giant Atlantic label is like a big invitation to a musical journey that will leave you speechless at the end. Even if you're not an R&B fan, this will change the way you feel about it for not only did these people play and sing from the heart but most essentially the soul. Take this music to a party and tell your friends about this musical treasure chest. If you had to purchase one CD box set in your lifetime, this is the quintessential pick, hands down! It's a rare worthwhile investement and something you'll want to keep forever! This did get a Grammy when initially released in 1985 for Best Historical Album. The sound quality is quite excellent for 1991 remastering. It can sound best on a system with much bass boost. Truly for the collector! It's a celebration of every aspect, genre and sub-genre of R&B, a celebration of music, musical history, life, Ahmet Ertegun (on my list of all-time musical geniuses), and arguably the greatest name in rhythm & blues and the record business: ATLANTIC.
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