Search - Booker T & Mg's :: Essentials

Skimpy and cost-ineffective

R. Riis | NY | 08/12/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Rhino either thinks the public has a short attention span or has money to burn, based on the evidence of this and the other "Essentials" titles they've been flooding the marketplace with lately. 12 tracks as opposed to 16 tracks on their regular "Very best of" collection at the same price? Who's idea of essential is that, the Rhino accounting department's? The music, by the way, is great. Just buy it in another collection."

Too Many Hits Missing To Be Essential

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 08/08/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As the house band for Stax Records in the Sixties, Booker T. and the MG's backed everyone from Otis Redding to Albert King. In addition to session work, they placed seven instrumentals in the Top 40 on their own beginning with 1962's classic "Green Onions" with Booker T.'s soulful organ and Steve Cropper's fluid guitar. Unfortunately, three of those chart hits ("Hang 'Em High," "Time Is Tight" and "Mrs. Robinson") are not included. [To get ALL the hits, 1994's The Very Best--also from Rhino--is the better choice offering sixteen instead of only 12 tracks.] This new compilation does offer two songs ("Jellybread" and "Jingle Bells") not found on the 1994 release, but with a running time of just over 30 minutes this one seems a bit skimpy. This is certainly essential music, but hardly the best compilation."