Search - Various Artists :: Barbeque Soul-A-Bration Party Pack

Despite heavy industry competition, Rhino Records has yet to cede its title of "Label Most Likely to Make a Silly Idea Work." Latest case in point is the new "Party Packs" series' double-CD selection of grill-soundtrack sides packaged with recipes for ribs, catfish, and other delicacies, manufacturer coupons included. The music leans hard toward '60s soul (Otis, James Brown), often with a food-related bent (King Curtis's "Memphis Soul Stew," Little Milton's "Grits Ain't Groceries"). Left-field entries by Tony Joe White (who schools those of "y'all never been down south too much" on the mythical "Polk Salad Annie"), the Clovers, Willie Bobo, and Betty Wright ("Clean Up Woman" closes the set, naturally) assure that the discs avoid the over-familiar: They go down real easy, don'tcha know. --Rickey Wright