Various: Sweet Soul Music (Stax/Universal)

Widely advertised compilations such as this double-disc rarely make it onto Elsewhere because I figure you know about them anyway.

But I'm making an exception with this one because over 51 tracks you not only get some of the classics of Stax soul which should be in any serious record collection (signature songs by Otis, Carla Thomas, Sam and Dave, Booker T, Isaac Hayes and so on) but also some of the less familiar: Jean Knight, the Astors, the Soul Children, William Bell, Shirley Brown, Mel and Tim, the Mad Lads . . .

The first disc is funky and soulful, the second more into that sweet'n'seductive style.

Some critics would doubtless drop a few of the schmaltzy tracks for more hard hitters, but that would skew the picture of what came out of Stax.

There is classic music here. Check it out if you need a little more soul in your life, or life in your soul.