At nine discs and 244 tracks,
The Complete Stax-Volt Singles: 1959-1968
is far too exhaustive for casual fans, but that's not who the set is designed for -- it's made for the collector. Featuring every A-side the label released during those nine years, as well as several B-sides, the set is a definitive portrait of gritty, deep
Southern soul
. Many of the genre's major names --
Otis Redding
,
Sam & Dave
Carla Thomas
Booker T. & the MG's
William Bell
Rufus Thomas
the Bar-Kays
Albert King
-- plus many terrific one-shot wonders are showcased in terrific sound and augmented with an in-depth booklet. For any serious
soul
or
rock
collector, it's an essential set, since
Stax-Volt
was not only a musically revolutionary label, its roster was deep with talent, which means much of the music on this collection is first-rate. But if you only want the hits, you'll be better off with a smaller collection, since too much of this set will sound too similar, and sorting through the nine discs will be a monumental task if you only want to hear
Otis
Rufus
Carla
, and
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine