"The Columbia Masters" by EARTH, WIND & FIRE (2012 Song/Legacy 16CD Mini Box Set) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Let's Groove…"

With 15 albums (2 of which were originally vinyl doubles) and a packed Bonus Disc personally chosen by the band’s principal songwriter and guiding force Maurice White - there’s a huge cache of Soul/Funk goodies on here – so let’s get to the cosmic details right away. Released June 2012 – “The Columbia Masters” by EARTH, WIND & FIRE is a 16CD Mini Box Set on Sony Legacy 88697894692 and breaks down as follows:

1. Last Days And Time, November 1972 album, 11 tracks, 39:52 minutes

2. Head To The Sky, May 1973, 6 tracks, 36:39 minutes

3. Open Our Eyes, March 1974, 11 tracks, 39:53 minutes

4. That’s The Way Of The World, March 1975, 8 tracks, 38:54 minutes

5. Gratitude, November 1975 2LP set, 16 tracks, 66:11 minutes

6. Spirit, October 1976, 9 tracks, 36:23 minutes

7. All ‘n’ All, November 1977, 11 tracks, 38:58 minutes

8. The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol.1, November 1978, 10 tracks, 40:10 minutes

9. I Am, June 1979, 9 tracks, 37:40 minutes

10. Faces, November 1980 2LP set, 17 tracks, 66:07 minutes

11. Raise!, November 1981, 9 tracks, 38:30 minutes

12. Powerlight, March 1983, 9 tracks, 41:20 minutes

13. Electric Universe, November 1983, 8 tracks, 37:19 minutes

14. Touch The World, November 1987, 10 tracks, 42:47 minutes

15. Heritage, February 1990, 17 tracks, 51:22 minutes

16. Constellations – The Universe Of EW&F, 2012 Exclusive, 16 tracks, 68:10 minutes

Their first two albums “Earth, Wind & Fire” (1971) and “The Need Of Love” (1972) were both on Warner Brothers in the USA – so are not covered by this box set. And the eagle-eyed collectors amongst you will also have noticed the absence of ‘bonus tracks’ on all albums - when the 1999 and 2001 Legacy single issue CD remasters all had about 4 extras each. But there is disc 16 – which has "Live From Rio" stuff, 12" instrumental mixes and duets.

The chunky 40-page mini booklet is fabulous – well put together with full album annotation – an Intro from Leo Sachs – photos of singles and publicity photos. Overall mastering is by Mark Wilder – but a quick listen to any disc and its clear that the Legacy remasters of old have been used – and that means great sound quality throughout. And a bonus for us who appreciate our Repro Artwork – each card is a gatefold – even the albums that had a single sleeve issue initially.

The chart statistics surrounding EWF are staggering - “Shining Star”, “Sing A Song”, “Getaway”, “Serpentine Fire”, “Got To Get You Into My Life”, “September”, “Let’s Groove” and “System Of Survival” were all Number 1’s in the USA R’n’B charts. Every other chart entry they had between 1973 (“Evil”) and 1990 (For The Love Of You” with MC Hammer) are all here too – nearly 40 of them! But what a set like this does is to allow you to dip into those lesser-travelled paths – the stunning Fusion instrumental “Power” on “Last Days And Time” – the lovely Isley Brothers Soul of “Keep Your Head To The Sky” – the out-and-out Power Funk of “Mighty Mighty” (a Number 4 in March 1974) – and the irresistible floor-filling joy of “Let Me Talk” which opens the ambitious double “Faces”.

Sixteen CDs worth of EWF is probably a little too much for the average Soulster (a single “Best Of” will do) – but at its presently reduced price of just over a twenty spot – in 2014 it doesn’t half offer ludicrously great value for money. And all of it sounding like it’s ready to put ants in your pants…

Always a joyous Soul and Funk band – Earth, Wind & Fire’s “The Columbia Masters” is a winner…

This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Book Series. One of those titles is SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION - Exceptional CD Remasters - an E-Book with over 245 entries and 2100 e-Pages - purchase on Amazon and search any artist or song (click the link below). Huge amounts of info taken directly from the discs (no cut and paste crap). 

"The RCA Albums Collection" by SAM COOKE - Including The Stereo Albums "Cooke's Tour" (1960), "Hits Of The 50's" (1960), "Swing Low" (1961), "My Kind Of Blues" (1961), "Twistin' The Night Away" (1962), "Mr. Soul" (1963), "Night Beat" (1963) and more (November 2011 UK Sony/RCA/Legacy 8CD Clamshell Box Set with Vic Anesini Remasters and Mini LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves) - A Review by Mark Barry...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/RCA-Albums-Collection-Sam-Cooke/dp/B005APT72M?crid=212UCA4EWDC27&keywords=886978987020&qid=1706874169&sprefix=886978987020%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=f779bfa65ba781b4a6a4318ae6479fbb&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

RATING: ****

"…You Can Make Me Weep…You Can Make Me Cry…"

I've had this pre-ordered for months - and when it arrived this morning - I ripped off the shrink wrap with an indecent haste. And I'm thrilled to say that Sony/Legacy has done a very tasty job indeed - tracks and albums that are NEW TO CD. And priced at roughly three quid per disc, this wee beauty is also great value for money. 

Unfortunately and given the constraints of the early Sixties regarding musical expression for a coloured man daring to take on the commerciality of the American charts, you must hammer home that these albums are not all Soul genius by a long shot kicking any bucket. There is crooner schlock in here a-plenty hustling to be acceptable to nice white picket-fence USA, but then there is the other stuff – the early Soul stuff – and like Presley – that voice. And that is all any real fan will ever want. And man does it sound good. Here are the night beats for a true singing legend...

UK released Monday 14 November 2011 - "The RCA Albums Collection" by SAM COOKE on Sony/RCA/Legacy 88697898702 (Barcode 886978987020) has 8 US Stereo albums on 8CDs and breaks down as follows:

1. "Cooke's Tour" - a 12-track LP originally released April 1960 on RCA Victor LSP-2221 (36:59 minutes)

2. "Hits Of The 50's" - a 12-track LP originally released August 1960 on RCA Victor LSP-2236 (33:57 minutes)

3. "Swing Low" - a 12-track LP originally released March 1961 on RCA Victor LSP-2293 (36:31 minutes)

4. "My Kind Of Blues" - a 12-track LP originally released October 1961 on RCA Victor LSP-2392 (32:52 minutes)

5. "Twistin' The Night Away" - a 12-track LP originally released April 1962 on RCA Victor LSP-2555 (29:18 minutes)

6. "Mr. Soul" - a 12-track LP originally released February 1963 on RCA Victor LSP-2673 (36:06 minutes)

7. "Night Beat" - a 12-track LP originally released September 1963 on RCA Victor LSP-2709 (37:45 minutes)

8. "One Night Stand! Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963" - a 10-track show recorded 12 January 1963, but not released until June 1985 on RCA Victor AFL 1-5181 (38:49 minutes) 

I half expected the booklet to be slight and useless but at 24-pages and with full music credits and discography info on all eight albums - it isn't. There's also a short essay by STUART COLEMAN and great black & white snaps of Sam in the studio. As you can see from the Amazon photo provided above - the outer box is as uninspiring as a bowl of cold mashed potatoes on a Monday morning - but the eight individual card repros contained within are LOVELY - faithfully depicting front and rear sleeves in full colour. Very nicely done. But the big news is the SOUND...

Albums 1 to 6 are remastered by VIC ANESINI with 7 and 8 done by BOB LUDWIG - both highly respected and revered names in the business of transferring old master tapes. The audio quality is 'Living Stereo' BEAUTIFUL - clear, warm and full of great feeling. There's air around each track and yet not overbearingly so - no compression and plenty of room to breathe - always a sign of engineers who respect the original sound and source material. 

Musically - and despite his legend as the greatest vocalist - it's a mixed bag of the awful and the great. It starts out badly with "Cooke's Tour" where he sings songs about different cities around the world - it's cheesy lounge music and largely unlistenable now. The 2nd album "Hits Of The 50's" is more on the suave Crooner tip but with better material like Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa", The Platters standard "The Great Pretender" and Doris Day's "Secret Love" - Cooke gets to stretch out vocally and his control is so sweet. "Swing Low" features "Chain Gang" and the brassy 4th album "My Kind Of Blues" features "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and the Big Joe Turner classic "Trouble In Mind". 

Cooke finally starts to hit his Soulful stride with the "Twistin' The Night Away" LP which features "Movin' And A' Groovin'" and the excellent "Somebody Have Mercy". The "Mr. Soul" LP is even better - "Chains Of Love" and "Smoke Rings" are silky smooth and the truly gorgeous "Nothing Can Change This Love" is my all-time favourite by him (lyrics above). The box culminates in two genuine masterpieces - the bluesy "Night Beat" LP which I reviewed a few months back as an 'obscure album you must own' and the posthumously released live set "One Night Stand!" which shows him in magnificent form. 

Niggles - as you can see from the skimpy playing times noted above - the discs are not exactly chockers with music. And as fans will know, albums 1 to 7 were originally issued in both MONO and STEREO, yet only the STEREO versions have been used here, when there was room for both. If it's an 'RCA Albums' box set, then issue them as they were originally released (most of it would have been first time on CD too). And because this set focuses on 1960 onwards - if you're looking for his huge Fifties hits like "You Send Me", "Cupid" and "Only Sixteen" - they're not on here. For those you should go to the single compilation "Portrait Of A Legend 1951-1964" - which has superlative track choices and glorious SACD sound quality. Or if you want a broader view of his entire career including his 1950's Gospel stuff with The Sour Stirrers - the 96-track 4CD Box Set from 2000 called "The Man Who Invented Soul" is the place to go. It was reissued in September 2011 as a mini book version at an incredibly cheap price.   

To sum up - "The RCA Albums Collection" by SAM COOKE is a lovely reissue and about time too. OK – the front cover artwork is awful, and it must be said that a lot of the content on the first 4 discs is hardly soulful in the way that we now know it (too many easy-listening covers and cheesy lounge tunes that haven't dated at all well). But the songs in-between the cracks are a nice rediscovery and the wonderful 4 Cooke albums that follow are must-owns. And that makes it four-stars worth of prime five-star Cooke that I need. 

Recommended. And I must grab me a copy of the Nina Simone box set in this series too...