How to Start a Soul Music Collection

You’re on it when it comes to guitar bands, but you’re starting to feel a bit one-dimensional. You dig Kanye West, but mostly because of those earthy old school samples you can’t quite identify. You love that Al Green tune in Pulp Fiction and the Bobby Womack joint that opens Jackie Brown. But beyond that you’re pretty useless when it comes to classic soul. Thankfully, you can take a small part of your paycheck and get hip in a hurry.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• CD player
• stereo receiver
• speakers
• your favorite chair
• $75-150 to invest in your musical education

1. DO MOTOWN. The legendary Detroit imprint was about singles. There are a number of excellent multi-artist collections; get one that contains more than one disc if possible. That’ll cover all your Temptations, Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Jackson 5, Mary Wells, and tons of others whose names you may not recognize, but whose songs you will. If you’re looking to dig deep on a single artist, make it Marvin Gaye. He was the first album artist in the stable, so get one of his ’70s long-players. What’s Going On, Let’s Get It On, I Want You, and Here, My Dear are all excellent. Stevie Wonder also made some classic Motown albums, natch.
2. GO GREEN. Al Green, that is. 1975’s Al Green’s Greatest Hits is a no-filler compilation, but if you like the context of a studio album, you can go with anything he released between ’71 and ’73. The title track to Let’s Stay Together (1972) is the one in Pulp Fiction. And thousands of other places where music is played.
3. SURF THE ATLANTIC. Atlantic Records had loads of great soul and R&B back in the day, but Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding are the cornerstones. All three artists are served well by Rhino singles collections, but if you’re feeling like deep cuts, go for Ray’s Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, Aretha’s I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, or Otis’ Otis Blue. Wilson Pickett is also notable, if less distinctive.
4. GET THE BLUES. Blue-eyed soul is nebulously defined territory. You’ll hear such names as The Rascals, Van Morrison, even Paul Weller. But there’s one record by one lady that sits at the top of the heap: Dusty Springfield’s Dusty In Memphis. An Englishwoman, she recorded it in Memphis to bathe in the mojo and grab a few session cats from those parts. “Son Of A Preacher Man” is on there, and every cut is good.
5. FUNK IT UP. Soul turned to funk in the hands of James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone. Both are well served by single- or double-disc collections, but if you’re feeling daring, pick up Sly’s There’s A Riot Goin’ On.
6. ROOT FOR THE UNDERDOG. Naturally, there are plenty of worthy soul artists with names of lesser marquee value. Bobby Womack is inconsistent, but when he’s on, he’s on. Get Capitol’s two-disc anthology to make sure you get all the good stuff (“Woman’s Gotta Have It” is the best soul song you’ve never heard). Bill Withers got a bit soft with age, but his debut, 1971’s Just As I Am, is pure bohemian bliss. Shuggie Otis became all trendy in the early ’00s when David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label reissued 1974’s Inspiration Information, but that doesn’t mean he’s not super dope on the smooth end of things.
7. TAKE A CHANCE. Once you’ve built a respectable soul section, buy something obscure that sounds interesting. The best place to do so is www.dustygroove.com.

Tips & Warnings

• Hear before you buy at a record store listening station or online.
• Check out www.allmusic.com for information on artists and albums.
• Talk to the soul/R&B expert at a good independent record store.
• Search Netflix for a documentary on the subject.
• When it comes to compilations, you get what you pay for. Bargain comps sound worse, have fewer tracks, and usually come without liner notes.