101 Soul Anthems in Bloomington, MN

This 101-track, five-CD set collects an awful lot of soul sides and it's difficult, really, to imagine any genuine soul classic that doesn't appear here -- this box has it covered, from
Marvin Gaye
(
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine,"
"Sexual Healing"
) to
Percy Sledge
"When a Man Loves a Woman"
),
Aretha Franklin
"Respect"
Sam & Dave
"Soul Man"
Booker T. & the MG's
"Green Onions"
Ray Charles
"What'd I Say"
the Temptations
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone"
James Carr
"The Dark End of the Street"
), and many, many others. There are a couple of curious choices, perhaps, like including
the Doobie Brothers
'
"What a Fool Believes"
or
Dionne Warwick
's
"Walk on By,"
but they still work as part of the playlist flow even if they aren't exactly what one usually labels soul. Soul is as much an approach as it is a style, and there's a treasure trove of soul here -- by any definition. ~ Steve Leggett