's stretch at arrived in the mid-'60s -- just after he spent a few years at 's subsidiary and just before he signed with , where he would finally find the commercial success that had eluded him. Such a description suggests was merely a transitional phase for , but 's 2011 set -- the latest and best retrospective of this material -- proves that this was a clear peak for , possibly his richest blend of soul, country, blues, pop, and rock & roll. always mined this vein but there's a stylish swing here that distinguishes the sides from everything else he recorded. Here is as a snappy uptown hipster, coolly riding the slinky R&B groove of "Mohair Sam," draping himself in fuzz guitars on "Let the Party Roll On," copping a bit of 's orchestral sweep on "It Ain't Gonna Be That Way," slyly ripping riffs from on "Just a Little Bit of You," shrugging with bemused self-effacement on "Everything I Do Is Wrong." Only occasionally does dabble with country and when he does he ratchets up the R&B: "You Can Have Her" bounces like and "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water" flips 's dirge into a gospel thump. , who recorded both of the preceding songs, learned several tricks from here but this is truly his own thing: there are no boundaries between styles or sounds -- it's smooth, soulful, and supple, from a master at the top of his game. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine