wasn't the first compilation but it is the best of the single-disc collections, distilling the high points across his career (up thru the posthumous hits and the heartbreaking ) in 16 tracks, every one a musical milestone and a soul music high-point of one kind or another. Although aimed at the casual listener and the neophyte fan, there are some astonishing realizations to be had in listening to this disc and looking at the chart placements of the early sides, and realizing just how uniform his musical influence is -- and, especially, from 1962 and 1963, respectively, sold only a fraction of what his later singles did, yet they've been covered by so many artists since, that they're as familiar as any of the other, bigger hits on this disc. The collection is hardly comprehensive, but all of the major bases are touched, right down to his 1967 hit duet with . The other advantage, especially for those on a budget, is that this was the first compilation to avail itself of the improved master tape research and analog-to-digital technology of the early '90s. ~ Bruce Eder