Chuck Jackson
's
Wand
debut is a significant cut above the typical filler-stuffed
soul
collections of the early '60s --
I Don't Want to Cry
's hit title cut serves as a springboard to explore 11 other tear-stained tunes, forming a concept record detailing the many subtle gradations of melancholy and heartbreak.
Pop
classics like
"Tears on My Pillow,"
"Lonely Teardrops,"
and
"Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying"
are well matched to
Jackson
's deep, poignant vocals. Blunt emotional force was always his greatest strength, and rarely was he served by better material, most notably the early
Burt Bacharach
/
Hal David
collaboration
"I Wake Up Crying."
[
was later reissued on CD via the British label
Kent
as part of a two-fer with its follow-up,
Any Day Now
.] ~ Jason Ankeny