VA - Chess Soul - A Decade Of Chicago's Finest [2CD Remastered Set] (1997)

Chess Records may not have had the grit of Stax or the impact of Motown when it came to soul, but the label certainly had its share of success. Between 1961 and 1971, chart-toppers like Etta James, Fontella Bass, Little Milton, and the Dells kept enough money rolling in to leverage the stronger, but weaker-selling, blues side of Chess. Crucial cuts by all these acts can be found in this two-CD compilation along with fine work from many lesser-knowns. Chess preferred the softer side of soul with string arrangements (the Gems' "I Can't Help Myself," the Knight Brothers' "Temptation 'Bout to Get Me"), but they managed to balance out their catalog with some sweatier material (Etta James and Sugar Pie DeSanto's "Do I Make Myself Clear," Laura Lee's "Dirty Man"). Highlights include Jan Bradley's sugar-sweet "Mama Didn't Lie," the Kolettes' punchy "Who's That Guy," Maurice & Mac's propulsive "You Left the Water Running," and (of course) the Fontella Bass classic "Rescue Me." This probably should have been expanded into a box set, but there's more than enough first-class music here to make it a must-have for soul fans. --Ken Hohman