Barbara Acklin - The Complete Barbara Acklin on Brunswick Records [2CD] (2004)
R&B, Soul, Northern Soul, Pop-Soul | EAC Rip | FLAC, Tracks+CUE+LOG+Scans (JPEG) | 02:18:39 | 882,95 Mb
Label: Edsel Records (UK) | Cat.# MEDCD 744 | Released: 2004-05-25 (1968-1973)
Favoring a supple, sophisticated approach quite distinct from the grittier sound of her Chicago rivals, soul diva Barbara Acklin cut some of the finest records to come out of the Windy City in the late '60s, most notably "Love Makes a Woman" and "Am I the Same Girl." She also cut her fair share of overbaked dross, which renders The Complete Barbara Acklin on Brunswick Records such a generous but frustrating listen. Assembling all five of the LPs Acklin cut for Brunswick between 1968 and 1973 - an output totaling 45 songs - the set offers the kind of all-inclusive, respectful treatment rarely afforded to artists of Acklin's limited commercial stature, but given the abundance of inferior material, listeners without completist impulses will be far better served by more focused best-of collections.