VA - Northern Monsters (2007)

At this point Britain's Northern soul club culture has been anthologized, dissected and eulogized from every conceivable angle -- for every superior collection on the market, there are two or three inferior releases undermined by poor mastering, scant liner notes or overly familiar material. Count Kent's Northern Monsters subtitled "24 of the Biggest Sounds Ever on the Northern Soul Scene from Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" among the good ones. Sidestepping the confines of thematic structure and digging up some rare material yet to surface on CD, it's further strengthened by Ady Croasdell's lively liners and consistently excellent sound, often drawn directly from the original masters. And of course the music kills, too. Highlights include Morris Chestnut's "Too Darn Soulful," Alice Clark's "You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me)" and Tobi Lark's "Happiness Is Here."~Northern Monsters Review by Jason Ankeny