When Jimmy Hughes scored his 1964 hit with "Steal Away" on the Fame label, and later with "Everything About You" on Anna, little did he know that his regional chart-busting days were all but over -- though, as evidenced by this 1969 Volt LP, the quality of his work was as consistent as ever. The... [+] Expand

When Jimmy Hughes scored his 1964 hit with "Steal Away" on the Fame label, and later with "Everything About You" on Anna, little did he know that his regional chart-busting days were all but over -- though, as evidenced by this 1969 Volt LP, the quality of his work was as consistent as ever. The lone single from this set, "Ain't As Strong As I Used to Be," barely cracked the Top 100 of the Billboard chart, but it doesn't matter a whit historically. This is one of the finest soul records of 1969, period. Hughes and his crying vocal was the epitome of transcendent emotionalism in R&B. The 13 tracks included on Something Special, produced by Al Jackson, Jr., Al Bell, and Charles Chalmers, were scorching, deeply moving, in-the-groove, steamy love songs. This is the sound of Memphis as it moved from the gutbucket sound of the 1960s, and into the more ambitious light of the 1970s with its bigger productions featuring gorgeous melds of strings, electric pianos, warm guitars, and huge backing choruses. As for standout tracks, the single is one to be sure, but it's "I'm Not Ashamed to Beg or Plead," by Eddie Floyd, and the Isaac Hayes and David Porter-penned "What Side of the Door," that really shine. This is only available on CD from Japan, but it's worth whatever you pay for it.. Jimmy Hughes stopped recording by the mid-'70s, but the small legacy of recordings he left behind stand head and shoulders with virtually everything else now regarded as classic about that period's soul music. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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