Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - The Story of Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose: Too Late to Turn Back Now (1996)

This group's story is very much one of the songs overwhelming the singers: "Too Late to Turn Back Now" and "Treat Her Like a Lady" are remembered because of their catchy, AM-friendly melodies, not the performers' talents. It's true that the singers never came out with anything else as good, as this compilation of 1972-76 material (including both of those monster hits, as well as some smaller ones and two previously unreleased cuts) demonstrates. But if you can adjust your expectations to accept that these aren't strikingly distinctive talents such as the O'Jays or the Spinners, you'll find some decent period "sweet" soul here. Songwriter and lead singer Eddie Cornelius had a knack for hooks that owed more to pop than R&B, though the soul never got quite as "sweet" as those of the Philly groups, with a bit of mild Sly or Jacksons influence popping up here and there. That helps render the verdict of: lightweight but enjoyable collection, by a minor but likeable act.