This album is the second compilation of the 'Sounds of Memphis' / XL Recordings studio and label set-up operating through the 1960s and 1970s. It was a studio producing authentic soul music as good as Stax but to far less attention.
Conventional wisdom says that the second in a series might see a downturn in quality. However in this case if anything the second one is stronger than the first. There are around a dozen previously unissued recordings that make this essential for fans of soul from the southern USA states (called 'Southern soul' and unrelated to 'Northern Soul' which was uptempo 60s/70s soul played in the clubs from the Midlands and North from the late 1960s onwards).
Musically it crosses uptempo 60s dance soul, raw funk, girl groups, slick modern soul, rock-soul crossover and even the odd touch of country-soul (the stunning Art Jerry Miller song).
Soul music made in the 1970s with the more slick, sophisticated sound is called 'Modern Soul' (even if it is decades old) and a recent biggie on that dance scene is the leading track here from George Jackson. While that might be reason to buy the set for some, every track here is of a high standard. I often listen to it all the way through in one sitting which is rare for such compilations.
It goes without saying that Kent provide high quality sound from the master tapes and excellent sleevenotes.
For many of us it would be easy to overlook this consistently rewarding set that I'm sure will be played by soul fans for decades to come.
Highly recommended.