Soul Sampler

Majority of the tracks are northern soul with only a coupe exception that play big on the west coast low rider soul scene. "This Love" by The Joytones and "Given Up On Love" by Johnny Thompson. Leave this one for the northern soul crowd.

2 out of 10

Way With The Girls

Outstanding sweet soul jam in "There Is Something The Matter (With Your Heart)" by Cynthia And The Imaginations was the reason for this pick up. Also contains nice tracks by Theresa Lindsay, The Lollipops, Argie And The Arketts and Monique. A decent addition to the soul collection.
5 out of 10

Instant Ecstasy

 A handful of obscure ballads included in this four CD compilation, "Lovely Emotions" by The Arvettes, "Baby It's You" by The Jewels, "You're Lonesome Now" by the Fairlanes, "Don Juan" by The Starr Brothers (aka The Ideals), "Honest I Do" by Sonny Fulton, "I'm Lonely" by The Baby Dolls, "Lie" by The Meadowlarks, "One Rose" by The Startones, "I Think Of You" by The Foxettes, "The Beating Of My Heart" by The Petites, "Just A Little Tear" by The Pixies and "Pray For Me" by Four Pharaohs. A recommended pick up.
6 out of 10

Mable John

Killer B side 1960 ballad in "You Made A Fool Of Me" made this one a must have for me. Other nice tracks include "Meet Me Halfway", "Say You'll Never Let Me Go" and "No Love". Top notch sound quality and liner notes.
5 out of 10

Down Beats

This group does a great cover of "What's Your Name" that is well worth the price of the CD. Other note worthy tracks include "Again", "When He Touches Me" and their take on "There Is Something On Your Mind". Sound quality varies.
5 out of 10

Cry Baby Doo-Wops

Cry themed track compilation with a few superb Doo Wop ballads. Standouts are "Why Must I Cry" by The Idols, "Cry Over You" by The Robins, "Why Are You Crying" by The Enchanters and "Sit And Cry" by The Grand Prees. A recommended pick up for the Doo Wop fan.
5 out of 10

Doop-Doo-Wah Vol. 2

Waited quite a while for this one to come up a decent price to have both volumes in my collection. Highlights include " "Don't Just Stand There" by The Five Chords, "Believe Me" by Frankie Ervin & The Shields, "Darling! Don't Make Me Cry" by Ernie and The Halos. Solid sound quality and plenty of liner notes to give us a little glimpse into the artists.
4 out of 10

Doo Wop, Rhythm & Blues and Novelties

This one was a cheap risk that did not pan out. "So It Be" by Ike And The Vines is a decent track along with common cuts by The Pentagons, The Van Dykes and The Laurels. Unless you dig odd ball pop I would say skip this one.
1 out of 10.

The Rob Roys Meet The Quintones

My reason for this pick up was solely for the tracks by The Quintones. Top picks are "Down The Aisle Of Love", "Ther'll Be No Sorrow", "Ding Dong", "Oh Heavenly Father" and "What Am I To Do". Overall good sound quality. A solid addition for the Doo Wop fan.
5 out of 10

Doo Wop Dreams

I picked this one up for The Hollywood Flames' take on "There Is Something On Your Mind". The other nice tracks are pretty standard. Was surprised by the lack of quality recordings used in this compilation.
2 out of 10

The Six Teens

A must have CD for the Doo Wop fan. The Ace Records release has the best sound quality so make sure you pick this one up. Highlights include the classic "A Casual Look", "Teenage Promise", "Oh It's Crazy" and "Heaven Knows I Love You". West Coast Doo Wop at it's finest!
5 out of 10

Lost And Found: The Blue Rock Records Story

A two disc set that takes a good in depth look at the Blue Rock label which pulled talent from across the country. Highlights include "Never No More" by The Chi-Lites, "To Be Or Not To Be" by Otis Leavill, "Cry Myself To Sleep" by Shirley Walhs And Souse, "Over My Dead Body" by Benny And Tina, "Something Bad (Is Happening)" by The Adventures, "The Love You Forgot" by Cynthia And The Imaginations and "I Wanna Know Right Now" and "Are You Really Happy" by Timothy Wilson. Solid sound quality and liner notes.
5 out of 10

For Millionaires Only

I knew going in that this set was probably not for me but just had to have "Girls Are Against Me" by The Utopias. Also worth a mention is "Showstopper" by The Cashmeres and "Heart, You're Made Of Stone" by The Magnetics". Good sound quality. Might not be a comp enjoyed much by the sweet soul crowd, best left to the northern soul crowd.

4 out of 10

Totally Solid Hitbound

Only a few highlights for me here, " I Won't Hurt You Anymore" by Eddie Anderson, "When You Lose The One You Love" by Buddy Smith and "I Won't Love You And Leave You" by Melvin Davis And Steve Mancha. Good sound quality but overall it would better appreciated by the northern soul crowd.
4 out of 10

Juke Box Gems

Not all soul style ballads but a few really good ones. Highlights include "Tell Me Why" by Little Alice, "Wrapped Up In A Dream: by The Candelettes, "Here Is My Heart" by A Debbie, "My Vow To You" by Eddie Lebron (noted as Cebron on the track listing), "Take A Lesson From The Teacher" AKA "Storybook Of Love" by The Whispers, "That's Why I Cry" by Karen Small, "You're All I Live For" by The Four Vibes, "Just Another Fool" by The Debs, "I Want A Girl" by The Imaginations, "If You Love Me" by The Informers and "Aching For You" by The Charmelettes. Sound quality varies. A solid addition to your collection.

I am searching for volume 2, if anyone knows where I can purchase it would be much appreciated if you can let me know.

6 out of 10

The Best Of Chess Vocal Groups

A very nice track by The Gems, "Dear One (It Was A Night)" was what lead me to acquire these two comps. Other nice tracks are pretty well know, The Dells, The Pastels, The Sonics and The Knight Brothers. Solid sound quality and lots of liner notes. If you want to pick these up do your research as prices range from good to insane.

5 out of 10