Beg, Scream & Shout!: Vol. 1

Extravagance in packaging is no vice, especially when the media--six CDs wrapped in mockup 45 sleeves inside one of those carrying cases that were the in thing for late-'60s singles buyers--so perfectly enhance the sounds contained within. Of course, it's what's in the digital bitstream that counts, and Beg, Scream & Shout!'s selections are masterfully chosen. Unlike Rhino's excellent but somewhat predictable R&B; Box, this one strikes a better balance between well-known hits and artists and great sides by second-tier acts. This approach allows many more surprises to break through over the course of the 144 tracks, almost all presented in single-mix mono. Half-remembered, too-little-heard, never-heard--a big part of the experience of the soul decade is here, with even the most familiar tunes thrown into relief by the jumble of chronology and styles. Whether the most indelible legends (James, Aretha, Otis), unjustly forgotten stars (Joe Simon, Tyrone Davis), or great one- and two-shot voices, the set just keeps moving with smart selections. Grand discoveries abound--Otis Clay's "That's How It Is (When You're in Love)," which begins with the singer imploring, "Please, somebody take your hand and slap some sense in me"; C & the Shells' Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams-penned "You Are the Circus (I Am the Clown)"--plus original versions of "Tainted Love" (by Gloria Jones), "Mustang Sally" (by its author, Sir Mack Rice), "Piece of My Heart" (by Erma Franklin, Aretha's sister), "He Was Really Sayin' Something" (by the Velvelettes), and "Leaving Here" (by Eddie Holland). Consistently revelatory and fun, fun, fun, this is pretty much everything a genre box should be.