The Complete Stax / Volt Singles: 1959–1968

“Understanding the music from Stax is easy, understand the business of Stax could probably take you a lifetime, as the label has been intermixed not only with the old Atlantic record label, Gulf Western, Concord Records but that of the newer Rhino Disc company and its affiliates. In 1991, Atlantic released The Complete Stax Volt Singles Collection 1959 through 1968, on nine discs, containing all of the Stax ‘A Sides’ from the Atlantic era. This boxed set consists of 243 singles, measures 12 X 12 inches by 2 inches deep, and along with the nine discs [which are broken down chronologically], comes with a very large soft cover book, containing sixty four pages of information and pictures of the artists, recording sessions, and those who orbited these sessions, including the engineers and technicians. As far as the book is concerned, it is one of the better that I have come across, all of the information is laid out in a concise manner, following the time line of the music’s release. The Atlantic years were the most successful and those which will be remembered the most, due in great part to such legends as Booker T. & the MGs, who were not only the house band for Stax, but artists in their own right … much the same as the Funk Brothers were to their main competitor, Motown Records. Much has been made regarding the sound Stax Records was to achieve … many attributed this to the quality of the musicians and technicians who worked for Stax, but truth be told, the sound was a pure accident. The recording studio Stax used was actually a converted movie theater, with the usual sloping floor where the seats had once been. The imbalance of this large room created a sort of acoustic anomaly that found its way onto the sound of the recordings … giving them a deep, huge sound, unlike anything heard before, and it was all accidental … just proving how much can not be factored into a recording session. … Some of Stax’s best artists included: The Bar-Keys, Booker T. & The MGs, The Mad Lads, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Johnnie Taylor, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, Luther Ingram, Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd, The Emotions and many, many others. … – streetmouse”
Rate Your Music
amazon
YouTube: Stax-Volt: The Complete Singles 1959-1968   1 / 235