The Best of the Dramatics - STAX
Artist: The Dramatics
Community Score: 9.25

In the 1960s, Stax Records was best known for raw southern soul that rejected the type of sleekness and pop sensibilities favored by the northern soulsters at Motown. But by the early '70s, Memphis soul was losing its popularity, and Stax's A&R department started to emphasize northern and so-called "uptown" soul in order to stay competitive. One... Read More

Whispers Greatest Hits
Artist: The Whispers

These songs encompass the Whispers' Janus recordings that chronicle the second phase of their recording career; they cut their teeth with Dore Records. A larger recording budget and better songs make this a sweeter package then the primitive sounding Dore tracks. Unlike the Dore tracks, these recordings got played outside of California and... Read More

The Best of Gladys Knight - BUDDAH
Artist: Gladys Knight & the Pips

This 10-song compilation is oddly structured and was even more strangely timed when it showed up in the winter of 1976. The group had just come off of their fourth Buddah LP, 2nd Anniversary, a Gold Record-winning album with a pair of hits, and a best-of seemed premature. Additionally, five of the album's songs came off of the 10-song... Read More

The Best of the Isley Brothers - BUDDAH
Artist: The Isley Brothers
Live It Up
Artist: The Isley Brothers
Chronicle
Artist: The Emotions

A fine collection of The Emotions' greatest hits, Chronicle also includes several songs that weren't as popular but were nearly as good. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

The Best of Bill Withers - SUSSEX
Artist: Bill Withers
The Best of the Spinners - ATLANTIC
Artist: The Spinners

The Spinners lost lead singer Philippe Wynne in 1977, as he left to join Parliament/Funkadelic. While they were getting replacement John Edwards acclimated, Atlantic issued this greatest-hits LP containing all the gems with Wynne as their lead singer. Until the Atlantic two-CD set was issued, this was a definitive work, and it's still as... Read More

There's No Place Like America Today
Artist: Curtis Mayfield

The title is intended in an ironic way, as illustrated not only by the cover -- a grim parody of late-'40s/early-'50s advertising imagery depicting white versus black social reality -- but the grim yet utterly catchy and haunting opening number, "Billy Jack." A song about gun violence that was years ahead of its time, it's scored to an incisive... Read More

Sparkle
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Community Score: 7.33

Aretha Franklin's career was in a down period in the mid-'70s when she collaborated with Curtis Mayfield to sing his compositions for the film Sparkle. The film proved a non-event, but for Franklin it marked a return to glory. Once again she was the Queen of Soul, doing the chilling, spectacular leaps, cries, whoops, and shouts that defined... Read More

Let's Do It Again
Artist: Curtis Mayfield