This generous compilation that covers years between 1960 and 1968 is the most celebrated chapter in the career of singer associated with legendary "Stax Records" label that served some of the best and most authentic soul records in the decade bursting with magnificent music. It also shows how the music changed with time, from innocent doo wop romantic ballads ("Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)") to pulsating, screaming shouts of later duets with no less than Otis Redding.
Carla Thomas might have been called Queen of Memphis Soul but she comes across as sweet-voiced young thing more predisposed to sing romantic ballads - her first smash single "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)" still sounds genuine, while later recordings might have been more producer's ideas of what label wanted released. This is not to say that mature Thomas was unconvincing singer but there was something real in those earliest, innocent ballads, while in later years she might have acted the part expected from her - Isaac Hayes is behind most of them and my impression is that Thomas (like most of female singers of the time) had to do as told. "B-A-B-Y" is still wonderful classic and it wraps the singer in recognisable Stax sound (horns and all) so perhaps this is a perfect starting point for further exploring music of this lady who might not have been the grittiest or loudest, but she deserves re-evaluation since she was right in the middle of creative whirlwind at the time when Memphis brimmed with exciting music.
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