James Carr Goldwax Singles CD - Import

This is first in a series of releases on Kent from the legendary Goldwax label, and it features 28 tracks from James Carr, regarded as one of the greatest deep soul singers ever. His rendition of "At The Dark End Of The Street," included here, is regarde

Includes liner notes by Dave Godin.
Liner Note Author: Dave Godin.
Recording information: Sounds Of Memphis Inc (1964-1970).
Arrangers: Chips Moman; Dan Penn.
A seminal deep soul singer with a voice that combined the sheer power of Otis Redding's scratchy holler with the emotional subtlety of Sam Cooke's deathless croon, James Carr routinely tops critics lists of "finest male soul singers," but often goes unrecognized by the general public. His career-making 1967 recording of Dan Penn and Chip Moman's heart wrenching "Dark End of The Street" is the definitive take on the song, easily besting versions by the likes of Aretha Franklin and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Incredibly, the rest of his catalogue more than matches this high standard.
Kent Records' superb COMPLETE GOLD WAX SINGLES compiles all the singer's sides for Quentin Claunch's tiny Goldwax imprint. "The Dark End of The Street," "Love Attack," and "Girl You Got My Mind Messed Up" are acknowledged deep soul classics, but lesser-known cuts like the driving "Freedom Train" and the Solomon Burke-influenced "Lovable Girl" are equally impressive.
All 28 songs from Carr's 1964-1970 Goldwax singles are here, which is enough to make it a fair bid for a good best-of compilation, although it doesn't have everything he recorded. About half of the songs on this British import are not on the most well-known American CD compilation of Carr's work, The Essential James Carr, and those tracks are consistent with the level of his other Goldwax recordings, although they don't include anything on the level of "The Dark End of the Street" or "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man." This disc is particularly valuable for filling in some of his earliest 1964-1966 sides, which have a very slightly poppier and more up-tempo bent than his most esteemed songs. "That's What I Want to Know"'s groove is pretty Motown-ish, for instance, while "I Can't Make It" and "Only Fools Run Away" have Marvelettes-like chirping in the background. The 1970 funk update of "Row, Row Your Boat" isn't much to cheer about, though. There are plenty who will argue the point, but this doesn't quite live up to Carr's billing as the greatest '60s deep soul singer; Otis Redding (who Carr resembles in some respects) was better, and others had better and more imaginative material. It's good, certainly, and recommended to fans of artists like Redding who are looking for similar stuff that doesn't get played on the radio anymore. ~ Richie Unterberger

Living Blues (1-2/02, p.60) - "...Teh deepest of all deep soul singers....[this collection] contains 28 1964-1970 masterpieces..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/02, p.70) - Ranked #6 in Mojo's "Best [10] Box Sets & Compilations of 2001".
Mojo (Publisher) (12/01, p.128) - "...His singing is a great and lasting epitaph..."