When you hear a Stax record, you know it's a Stax record: the urgent, passionate gospel inflections of the singer; the behind-the-beat horn arrangements; the prominent, pulsating rhythm section. It is the sound of South Memphis in the 1960s. Few labels have such an identifiable sound--or, for that matter, one that's as infectious. This four-disc collection gets right to the heart of the Stax sound, tracing its development from 1960 to 1975 and thus unveiling the development of modern soul music itself. The 98-song selection is wide and deep, with room for both international smashes and obscure curiosities. Disc one covers the best-known hits, but the highlight may be disc four, which is dedicated to incendiary live recordings and is where you can hear Rufus Thomas's "Do the Push and Pull" for more than five glorious minutes and hear Albert King break down his relationship troubles. The middle two discs fill in the gaps with lesser-known gems from famous artists and famous songs by lesser-known artists. Sure, any longtime Stax fan will quibble with a few of the song choices (and omissions), but that just proves how consistently rewarding the Stax output was. With packaging and annotation worthy of such indispensable music, The Stax Story will delight any fan of funk and soul. --Marc Greilsamer
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