Millie Jackson

Included here are all of the songs that made the lascivious Millie Jackson an item on R&B stations as one of the hottest live performers. From her debut "Child of God" to later R&B/country fusions like her hankie-wringing remake of "If You're Not in Love by Monday," Jackson's throaty voice demands your full attention. She rarely crossed over significantly, but "Ask Me What You Want," "My Man, a Sweet Man," "All the Way Lover," and her popular "It Hurts So Good," all made noticeable bangs on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart. 21 of the Best is a good introduction for Millie Jackson neophytes, and a grand collection of her greatest hits for those who purchased the original 45s and the occasional album.

Hip-O made a natural choice for this repackaging of two Millie Jackson LPs: her love-triangle classic Caught Up from 1974, and its follow-up, Still Caught Up, from 1975. Sounding better than they ever have, this pair of albums chart the course of one of the most disastrous affairs in musical history. The first features sides from each perspective, with Jackson brazenly discussing her affair with her lover's wife (on "All I Want Is a Fighting Chance") and later, taking the wife's part, giving up all hope of getting her husband back ("I'm Through Trying to Prove My Love to You"). The production is lush and the playing, by a crack team of Southern soul names, is crisp and effective. While Still Caught Up can't help but suffer an energy loss, it's a surprisingly strong record, featuring an unbelievable closer, "I Still Love You (You Still Love Me)," featuring Jackson being dragged away to an institution screaming (she even reprised the act for her stage show). In total, Caught Up/Still Caught Up is basically the equal of any solid Millie Jackson compilation, with highlights scattered all over the disc: "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right," "It's All Over but the Shouting," "Making the Best of a Bad Situation," "Leftovers," and "I'm Tired of Hiding".