These 24 cuts were released by the label or subsidiaries between 1967 and 1973 (with the exception of the previously unreleased by ). During the early stretch of that period, was carrying the whole enterprise on his back. It comes as no surprise, then, that an anthology of non- funk on the label during this period is heavily -influenced. You hear it up-front in the first two tracks, 's and attempts by two fading R&B stars to ride hits. Overall, this is adequate, but not noteworthy, period funk; none of the performers are recognizable to anyone but collectors, except for (who do an ill-advised 1972 remake of ) and the aforementioned . As is so often the situation on second-tier soul anthologies, the derivative nature of much of the material is real in-your-face: ' cover of could not hope to make anyone forget the original; do the late-'60s routine on (as does on ); do their best to emulate the smoldering funk of on the two-part This CD is not a bad secondary acquisition for the funk fanatic, mind you -- just nothing to jump up and down about. The set is at least made more listenable by some variety among the instrumentals and between the male and female vocalists. ~ Richie Unterberger