This two-fer CD includes the pair of long-players that
Irma Thomas issued during her brief yet significant stint on Imperial Records. When they were first released, 1964's Wish Someone Would Care and 1966's Take a Look didn't garner the attention they most certainly deserved. However, to modern ears they are reminders of just how influential
Thomas became to future generations of R&B vocalists. Her reign as "the Queen of New Orleans soul" actually predates these platters by several years, as "You Can Have My Husband (But Don't Mess with My Man)," "A Good Man," "Look Up," "It's Raining," and "Ruler of My Heart" (aka "Pain in My Heart") had all scored well on a regional level. In fact, the success of the latter pair -- penned by
Allen Toussaint under the
nom de plume of
Naomi Neville -- enabled
Thomas to be among those who transitioned to Imperial Records after they purchased the Nola-based Minit label in 1963. Wish Someone Would Care is marked by the skills of noted arranger
H.B. Barnum, who isn't afraid to give
Thomas the sonic support needed to make the most of her versatility. She illuminates the deeply soulful "I Need Your Love So Bad" and the remake of
Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love." However, she is probably best known for "Time Is on My Side" -- which resurfaced as a British Invasion hit for the still-wet-behind-the-ears
Rolling Stones. Much closer to home,
Thomas racked up kudos for her take on
Jackie DeShannon's "Break-A-Way," again influencing a Brit as
Tracey Ullman gave it an overhaul to great effect. Take a Look followed with the lion's share of the dozen songs provided by
Toussaint -- again credited as
Naomi Neville -- and
Van McCoy. While his creative path as a songwriter, arranger, and producer in many ways mirrored that of
Toussaint,
McCoy's songs reflected an obvious interest in the minor chords and quirky phrasing discernible in
Burt Bacharach's melodies, as is most evident on "It's Starting to Get to Me Now" and "Some Things You Never Get Used To." Meanwhile,
Toussaint's tracks "Take a Look," "Teasing, But You're Pleasing," the Motor City soul attitude of "What Are You Trying to Do," and the gospel-meets-country & western "Wait, Wait, Wait" uniformly exemplify his seemingly innate capacity for composing to magnify the specific qualities and capabilities of the singer. The remainder of the effort is equally inspired, with
Jerry Ragavoy's return to the blues "You Don't Miss a Good Thing (Until It's Gone)" and the propulsive "Baby, Don't Look Down" providing evidence of
Thomas' stylistic malleability. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
