Rock n Soul!

Great packaging, impressive liner notes [with new background info. and rare photos], and above average sound do not change the fact that for LR collectors it's the same ol' same ol' Vee Jay cuts - *still* no stereo on the re-recordings, *still* no prev. unreleased stuff, etc. But it's a fine place for a new LR fan or Rock n Soul historian to start: despite some curious jazz-based arranging and occasional voice problems, Penniman's '64 and '65 tracks have withstood the test of time and in fact contain sounds every bit as important as the ones he made for Specialty '55 to '57 and early '64. For example, the super soul ballad I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT is easily in his unofficial Top 10, a masterpiece featuring Jimi Hendrix, Don Covay, and probably Billy Preston. It was cut in New York City in May of 1965 along with the uptempo gems DANCIN' ALL AROUND THE WORLD and YOU BETTER STOP, the latter a funky Motown-type take. It is reported that a fourth tune was cut that day, an instrumental which remains in mothballs. [Note: The alternate recording of I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT is used twice - the great harmony vocal version with Don Covay is not here].