Rhino Definitive Soul Collections - Otis Redding Solomon Burke Sam Dave Booker T etc

Can anyone comment on the sound quality of the various Rhino 2 CD "Definitive Soul collection" sets? These are the sets with the photos broken up into red squares cover on white backgroun.

So far, I've seen them for Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett, Spinners, Sam & Dave, Booker T & the MGs and the Drifters.

I notice a lot of these sets have fewer tracks than Rhino's prior 2 CD sets for the same artists, although you can probably get the new sets for cheaper than some of the old sets.

 

Don't know about those specific releases, but I've read complimentary things around here about soul on Rhino in general, so I just got the Beg Scream Shout comp. I used these threads as references, if you haven't seen them. Hope this helps:

http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=103924

http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=119158

 

Rhino has been putting out these comps of almost everyone that has a substantial catalog in their vaults that they have permission to issue. I commonly see comps by The Sugarhill Gang, Chic, Grandmaster Flash, Sister Sledge, Average White Band. I haven't bought any of them yet because I haven't had any need to, so I do not know who mastered them opr how they sound.

 

I just picked up the "Solomon Burke Definitive Soul Collection" and believe as usual Rhino has done a great job. I had never owned an album by Solomon although I recall him from the 60's and have known he is a fine and respected soul singer for decades. I can't really comment on the song selection since I am not familiar with anything other than his few hits but I think the songs are all good. The liner notes are good in my opinion as well, of course serious fans won't find anything here profound or new, but for someone like myself that will settle for this single 2-disc compilation and not likely seek out anything else I don't know how you could do better than this. There hasn't been much discussion about the "Definitive Collection" series from Rhino here but I own a dozen or so and think it is a very good series of mid-priced 2-disc compilations. Some of the music wasn't originally released on Atlantic although most of it was I am sure.

Here is a link to the Rhino site with song selection:

http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=77666

Chris

 

Bump. Maybe more people have these sets by now, and have comments.

 

I don't own the Otis Redding set, I have an Otis box set instead but I do own the Rhino Definitive Soul Collection sets for:

Sam and Dave
Booker T. & the MG's
Solomon Burke
Wilson Pickett
The Drifters
Ruth Brown
Ray Charles
Aretha Franklin

Definitive Blues Collection:

Big Joe Turner

Definitive Groove Collection:

Chic
Sister Sledge

I also own a bunch of the pop and rock collections from the same series.

I haven't played everythng yet but I like everything I have played. For a budget priced 2-CD compilation series, I think these are great. For many of these artists, these 2-disc sets are all I own. I don't have software to do any type of an analysis. The Solomon Burke and Love sets are the two I have played the most so far and I haven't observed any issues with either. I am playing the Ruth Brown set now and it sounds good to me, especially for recordings from that era. Despite the fact she is a great and important singer, this is all I own other than a song here and there on various artists compilations.

 

The mastering is mostly by Bill Inglot with the assistance of Dan Hirsch...the same guys responsible for most of Rhino's output over the past 25 years!