Given the complexities of corporate politics, soul belter Chuck Jackson probably recorded for too many different labels to ever receive a truly definitive career-spanning overview, but for sheer quality and quantity the Kent retrospective Good Things is the disc to beat, assembling two dozen... [+] Expand

Given the complexities of corporate politics, soul belter Chuck Jackson probably recorded for too many different labels to ever receive a truly definitive career-spanning overview, but for sheer quality and quantity the Kent retrospective Good Things is the disc to beat, assembling two dozen chart hits, cult classics, and unreleased sides from the singer's glory years with the New York indie Wand. After Dionne Warwick, Jackson was arguably the premier interpreter of the indelible pop songs of composer Burt Bacharach, and Good Things spotlights their collaboration with dramatic, heart-wrenching performances including "I Wake Up Crying," "Any Day Now," and "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself." No less impressive are singles including "Tell Him I'm Not Home" and "I Keep Forgetting," which likewise showcase the grandiose drama of Jackson's gritty style. But Good Things is most notable for the inclusion of lesser-known efforts like the upbeat "Hand It Over" and the previously unissued "What's with This Loneliness," a major favorite on Britain's Northern soul circuit decades after the fact -- although Chuck Jackson has often been marginalized as merely a balladeer, these songs capture a kinetic energy that's no less persuasive, proving Jackson a far greater talent than most soul aficionados give him credit for. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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