Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. All I Could Do Was Cry
2. My Dearest Darling
3. If I Can't Have You
4. Sunday Kind of Love
5. Anything to Say You're Mine
6. At Last
7. Seven Day Fool
8. Trust in Me
9. Don't Cry Baby
10. Fool That I Am
11. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)
12. Waiting for Charlie (To Come Home)
13. Something's Got a Hold on Me
14. Next Door to the Blues
15. These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)
16. Stop the Wedding
17. Prisoner of Love
18. Pushover
19. Would It Make Any Difference to You
20. Pay Back
21. Two Sides to Every Story
22. Baby, What You Want Me to Do

Disc 2:

1. In the Basement, Pt. 1
2. Loving You More Every Day
3. Do I Make Myself Clear?
4. I Prefer You
5. It Must Be Your Love
6. 842-3089 (Call My Name)
7. I'd Rather Go Blind
8. Tell Mama
9. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
10. Security
11. Almost Persuaded
12. You Got It
13. Miss Pitiful
14. Losers Weepers, Pt. 1
15. W-O-M-A-N
16. I Never Meant to Love Him
17. You Can Leave Your Hat On
18. God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)
19. All the Way Down
20. Lovin' Arms
21. Feeling Uneasy
22. Let's Burn Down the Cornfield

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38605 in Music
• Released on: 1993-06-08
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .39 pounds

Amazon.com
Etta James is the dues-paying blues mama. Throughout her tragic and storied career, Miss Peaches has successfully delivered her growling soul and soaring vocals to everything from Chicago blues to pop. Her voice is one of the most distinctive in the entire blues canon and The Essential Etta James captures it in its prime; 44 tracks cover her best Chess Records work from 1960 to the early '70s. And though her early R&B hits for Modern like "Roll with Me Henry" are not here, just about everything else is: the supreme balladry of "All I Could Do Was Cry" and "At Last," the sassy bump of "Seven-Day Fool" and "Pushover," the raucous soul of "In the Basement," and even bell-bottomed funk of "All the Way Down." But the finest evidence of James's versatility can be heard in her outstanding Memphis soul covers of "Tell Mama" and "Security." There's a lot of Etta James out there, but this is likely the best compilation of her work you're going to find. --Ken Hohman

Customer Reviews

Etta James makes every song a gem.
This a great sampler of the early Etta James, 1960 to 1975, when she sang like a cross between Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin. One minute her voice is gentle and yearning. the next minute sheÕs stomping, growling, and roaring Ð the greatest r&b belter of all time. She has one of the most striking, goosebump-raising voices in the history of music. If all you know of Etta James is "At Last," you owe yourself this album. Not every song on here is a winner. For years no one seemed to be able to figure out what to do with Etta JamesÕ obvious talent, and they kept trying her out in different styles of music. The album is arranged in chronological order, so you hear her move from melodramatic teenage tearjerkers like "All I Could Do Was Cry," to romantic ballads ("At Last" is her most famous song, but there are a half dozen others on this album just as beautiful), to party r&b ("In The Basement"), to the Memphis Soul of "Tell Mama" and "IÕd Rather Go Blind," and finally into adventurous explorations of challenging songwriters like Randy Newman (her version of NewmanÕs "GodÕs Song" still gives me chills no matter how many times I listen to it.) The Essential Etta James is like a history of 60s and 70s soul music. Fascinating. But itÕs not just a period piece. The truth is, thereÕs no kind of music Etta James canÕt sing. She bring soul and grace to everything she touches. She makes the dumb songs fun, and the great ones masterpieces. And sheÕs STILL doing wonderful work, more than forty years after she started. But this album is where you can hear the astonishing range of her gift. This is where any newcomer should begin.

Oh, my, Miss Peaches...
This is an excellent cross-section of Miss James' vocal ability. It's all here - smoke-filled standards, rockin' R&B, scorching soul, and yes indeed, torch songs to put modern "divas" to shame. Though Etta's voice has spectacular range and emotional drive, these recordings do not contain the shrill vocal calesthenics forced on us by the 90's pop divas. The result was this ultra-quality collection, which I guarantee you will never loan out, even to your best friend.

Die-hard Etta James will rejoice with this compilation!
First off, let me say that if you are just getting into Etta and only know a few songs by her, this is not the way to start getting into her. It may have most of her stuff, but I think with a singer with power like Etta's, you need to take baby steps before you take a big dive into the blues of Etta James! I would recommended the MILLENIUM COLLECTION CD for a nice opening to her, then get this! Everything else is unnecessary when you have this! On 2 CD's, this has the best of her many albums, rare singles, and previously unreleased stuff. There's just so much on here that I can't describe it, you have to see for yourself after you've got a hankering for Etta!