Rating:
Genre:
R&B
Release Date: 07/11/2006
Rhino released a terrific double-disc
Wilson Pickett collection in 1992 called
A Man and a Half. It was a generous 44 tracks and spanned from
Pickett's early recordings with
the Falcons to his funky early-'70s work, and contained all the hits along the way. Fourteen years later,
Rhino released a second double-disc
Wilson Pickett collection, 2006's
Definitive Soul Collection, which isn't nearly as comprehensive or definitive as
A Man and a Half. It's 14 tracks shorter than its predecessor and isn't quite as attractively packaged, but it has a similar far-ranging scope, covering the same musical territory as
A Man and a Half. Since it's not as lengthy as
A Man and a Half,
The Definitive Soul Collection pales when it's judged against its stellar predecessor, but if it's taken on its own terms, it's quite a good compilation, containing all of
Pickett's biggest songs --
"In the Midnight Hour," "634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," "Funky Broadway" -- along with a good sampling of the best of the rest.
A Man and a Half may be the first choice for anybody looking for a double-disc set, but if that's hard to find, this is a good substitute.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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