Etta James – The Definitive Collection (2006)

Etta James - The Definitive Collection (2006)

Etta James – The Definitive Collection (2006)
EAC Rip | FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 427 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Geffen / Ume | USA | Cat#: B0004010-02 | Genre: Blues, R&B

Whoa. There are many Etta James collections out there. The standard-bearers thus far have been the Chess Box and the Essential Etta James. This set attempts to do something else and goes deep into her catalog to dig out the gems from her years with Modern, Argo, Cadet, Chess, Warner Brothers, Island, and Private Music/BMG, and presents the full spectrum of her five-decade career. As such, there are many different kinds of songs Continue reading “Etta James – The Definitive Collection (2006)”

Ray Charles – Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Vols 1 & 2 (2009) [Official Digital Release] [2019, Reissue]

Ray Charles - Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Vols 1 & 2 (2009) [Official Digital Release] [2019, Reissue]

Ray Charles – Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Vols 1 & 2 (2009) [Official Digital Release] [2019, Reissue]
FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Total Size: 422 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Concord Records | Genre: R&B

Ray Charles’s Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volumes 1 & 2 are major landmarks in American culture. Charles demonstrated that great songs with signature performances work in all genres. “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was a standard in country, soul and R&B, as he proved. Modern Sounds also brought America together during the Sixties’ civil rights movement. Charles became one of the first recording artists to have ownership and complete control of the masters. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music has been listed among the greatest albums of all time, along with the Beatles, Dylan, Motown, Springsteen, Hendrix and the Beach Boys. Continue reading “Ray Charles – Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Vols 1 & 2 (2009) [Official Digital Release] [2019, Reissue]”

Amy Winehouse – Frank (2003) [2008, Deluxe Edition]

Amy Winehouse - Frank (2003) [2008, Deluxe Edition]

Amy Winehouse – Frank (2003) [2008, Deluxe Edition]
EAC Rip | 2xCD | FLAC Image + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.41 GB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Universal Island Records | EU | Cat#: 1768122 | Genre: R&B

If a series of unfortunate comparisons (like the ones to follow) cause listeners to equate British vocalist Amy Winehouse with Macy Gray, it’s only natural. Both come on like a hybrid of Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill who’s had a tipple and then attempted one more late-night set at a supper club than they should have. Despite her boozy persona and loose-limbed delivery, though, Winehouse is an excellent vocalist possessing both Continue reading “Amy Winehouse – Frank (2003) [2008, Deluxe Edition]”

George Benson – Songs And Stories (2009) [CD + DVD + Hi-Res]

George Benson - Songs And Stories (2009) [CD + DVD + Hi-Res]

George Benson – Songs And Stories (2009) [CD + DVD + Hi-Res]
EAC Rip | FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log
DVD | NTSC 16:9 (720×480) VBR | LPCM (2.0 / 24bit / 96kHz) | DTS (5.1 / 24bit / 96kHz) | AC-3 (5.1)
Hi-Res | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 442 MB (CD) + 5.58 GB (DVD) + 4.76 GB (Hi-Res) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Concord Records | USA / Japan | Cat#: CCD-30364 / UCCO-1085 | Genre: Jazz, R&B

George Benson’s sound is so recognizable that, in its way, it’s quite comforting to hear his voice or his guitar come across on the radio or in a club. His recordings have been polished and extravagant in many cases, but there are those signature elements — his relaxed delivery and silky touch on the strings and his voice, as evocative as a cool breeze floating across a hot summer night. Songs and Stories doesn’t deviate from his formula a great deal, but it doesn’t have to. He’s chosen ten ubiquitous pop tunes from a variety of songwriters (and one by a relatively new kid on the block), and with the help of producers John Burk and Marcus Miller, he puts them across in fine style. Continue reading “George Benson – Songs And Stories (2009) [CD + DVD + Hi-Res]”

Marvin Gaye – You’re The Man (2019) [CD-Format + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Marvin Gaye - You're The Man (2019) [CD-Format + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Marvin Gaye – You’re The Man (2019) [CD-Format + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]
2x Vinyl Rip | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 192kHz | CD-Format / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.81 GB (Hi-Res) + 746 MB (CD-Format) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Tamla / Motown | USA | Cat#: T316L / B0029345-01 | Genre: Funk, Soul

Upon its release in 2019, You’re the Man was billed as a “lost” album — an album intended to appear between Marvin Gaye’s 1971 masterwork What’s Going On and 1973’s Let’s Get It On. The story isn’t quite so simple. Even though Motown slated a release for an album, there’s no real indication that You’re the Man was ever close to completion, and this compilation — available as a double LP or digitally — doesn’t make a convincing case that it was. Continue reading “Marvin Gaye – You’re The Man (2019) [CD-Format + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]”

Kool & The Gang – Gold (2005) [2008, Japanese SHM-CD]

Kool & The Gang - Gold (2005) [2008, Japanese SHM-CD]

Kool & The Gang – Gold (2005) [2008, Japanese SHM-CD]
EAC Rip | 2xCD | FLAC Image + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 971 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Universal | Japan | Cat#: UICY-91044/5 | Genre: R&B, Funk, Disco

Believe it or not, Gold is the first compilation with U.S. distribution to provide a fair and rather thorough glance at Kool & the Gang’s career from 1969 through 1987. Dozens upon dozens of other sets either focus on one of the group’s distinct eras or attempt clumsily to appease those who want “Jungle Boogie” and “Joanna” in one spot. Continue reading “Kool & The Gang – Gold (2005) [2008, Japanese SHM-CD]”

Earl Klugh – Finger Paintings (1977) [1981, MFSL UHQR Remastered, CD-Format + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Earl Klugh - Finger Paintings (1977) [1981, MFSL UHQR Remastered, CD-Format + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Earl Klugh – Finger Paintings (1977) [1981, MFSL UHQR Remastered, CD-Format + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]
Vinyl Rip | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | CD-Format / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 821 MB (Hi-Res) + 294 MB (CD-Format) | 3% RAR Recovery
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | Japan JVC Pressed | Cat#: MFQR 1-025 | Genre: Jazz, Funk, Soul
Half-Speed Mastered

Continue reading “Earl Klugh – Finger Paintings (1977) [1981, MFSL UHQR Remastered, CD-Format + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]”

Various Artists – The Late ’50s… The Top 10 Collection (1998) [4CD, Box Set]

Various Artists - The Late '50s... The Top 10 Collection (1998) [4CD, Box Set]

Various Artists – The Late ’50s… The Top 10 Collection (1998) [4CD, Box Set]
EAC Rip | 4xCD | FLAC Image + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 955 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Reader’s Digest Music | USA | Cat#: RB7-074 | Genre: Oldies, Rock & Roll, R&B

They were the most popular songs, the songs you danced and romanced to. Here are 75 original hits by the original artists – the Top Ten hits of each year from 1955 to 1959 – from the greatest guys, gals and groups of that unforgettable era. Continue reading “Various Artists – The Late ’50s… The Top 10 Collection (1998) [4CD, Box Set]”

Various Artists – Hey! That’s My Song (2016)

Various Artists - Hey! That's My Song (2016)

Various Artists – Hey! That’s My Song (2016)
EAC Rip | 3xCD | FLAC Image + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 788 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Not Now Music | EU | Cat#: NOT3CD232 | Genre: R&B, Rock & Roll, Oldies

Of course you already know these songs – all these songs; but maybe not these versions. It’s as if someone broke into your house while you were out and re-arranged the furniture. Continue reading “Various Artists – Hey! That’s My Song (2016)”

The Isley Brothers – 3 + 3 (1973) [2001, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Isley Brothers - 3 + 3 (1973) [2001, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Isley Brothers – 3 + 3 (1973) [2001, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD Rip | ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Hybrid SACD | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 3.35 GB (ISO) + 1.99 GB (FLAC Mch) + 782 MB (FLAC Stereo) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Epic / Legacy | USA | Cat#: ZS 32453 | Genre: Soul, Funk

Recorded in 1973, 3 + 3 was a major turning point for the Isley Brothers. With this album, the Isleys moved their T-Neck label from Buddah to Epic/CBS (which became Epic/Sony in the early ’90s), and it was at Epic that they unveiled their new lineup. Lead singer Ronald Isley and his siblings O’Kelly and Rudolph remained, but the Isleys became a sextet instead of a trio when cousin Chris Jasper and younger brothers Ernie and Marvin were added. Continue reading “The Isley Brothers – 3 + 3 (1973) [2001, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

The O’Jays – Ship Ahoy (1973) [2001, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The O'Jays - Ship Ahoy (1973) [2001, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The O’Jays – Ship Ahoy (1973) [2001, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD Rip | ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Single Layer SACD | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 4.24 GB (ISO) + 2.55 GB (FLAC Mch) + 0.98 GB (FLAC Stereo) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Epic / Legacy | USA | Cat#: ZS 32408 | Genre: R&B

The “other” O’Jays album masterpiece, Ship Ahoy combined shattering message tracks and stunning love songs in a fashion matched only by Curtis Mayfield’s finest material. From the album cover showing a slave ship to the memorable title song and incredible “For the Love of Money,” Gamble and Huff addressed every social ill from envy to racism and greed. Eddie Levert’s leads were consistently magnificent, as were the harmonies, production and arrangements. “Put Your Hands Together” and “You Got Your Hooks In Me” would be good album cuts, but on Ship Ahoy they were merely icing on the cake. Continue reading “The O’Jays – Ship Ahoy (1973) [2001, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Michael McDonald – Motown Two (2004) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Michael McDonald - Motown Two (2004) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Michael McDonald – Motown Two (2004) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD Rip | ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Hybrid SACD | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 3.54 GB (ISO) + 2.97 GB (FLAC Mch) + 1.28 GB (FLAC Stereo) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Motown | USA | Cat#: B0003472-36 | Genre: R&B

Michael McDonald’s 2003 album of Motown covers, modestly titled Motown, was his biggest hit in well over a decade, so it only made sense that he returned with a sequel to the record a little over a year later — after all, might as well strike while the iron is hot. Logically titled Motown Two, the album follows the same blueprint as the first record, offering highly polished, professionally produced, expertly performed interpretations of gems from the Motown vaults; it’s the sound of young America in the ’60s reinterpreted for the adults of the new millennium. While the sound is the same, there are a couple of important differences this time around. Continue reading “Michael McDonald – Motown Two (2004) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Michael McDonald – Motown (2003) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Michael McDonald - Motown (2003) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Michael McDonald – Motown (2003) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD Rip | ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Hybrid SACD | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 3.84 GB (ISO) + 3.10 GB (FLAC Mch) + 1.22 GB (FLAC Stereo) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Motown | US | Cat#: B0001194-36 | Genre: Soul, R&B

Michael McDonald never disguises what his seventh solo album is: the title Motown makes it clear that this 2003 effort is a tribute to the glory days of Berry Gordy’s Detroit empire. McDonald never strays too far from that thesis, occasionally dipping into the late ’70s for material (he takes on Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You”) and sometimes choosing to wax relatively obscure items from Motown’s vast, rich catalog, but for the most part, this is devoted to the songs that you know by heart, whether you were a kid in the ’60s or raised on oldies radio. Since this is McDonald, not a neo-soul neophyte Continue reading “Michael McDonald – Motown (2003) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Various Artists – Jazz In An R&B Groove Vol. 2 (2006) {Hi-Res SACD Rip}

Various Artists - Jazz In An R&B Groove Vol. 2 (2006) {Hi-Res SACD Rip}

Various Artists – Jazz In An R&B Groove Vol. 2 (2006) {Hi-Res SACD Rip}
SACD Rip | ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
Hybrid SACD | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.47 GB (ISO) + 1.14 GB (FLAC) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: HighNote Records | USA | Cat#: HCD 6015 | Genre: R&B, Jazz

Continue reading “Various Artists – Jazz In An R&B Groove Vol. 2 (2006) {Hi-Res SACD Rip}”