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Like any record company worth their salt, MCA knows a good gimmick when they see it, and when the millennium came around…well, the 20th Century Masters — The Millennium Collection wasn’t too far behind. Supposedly, the millennium is a momentous occasion, but it’s hard to feel that way when it’s used as another excuse to turn out a budget-line series. But apart from the presumptuous title, 20th Century Masters — The Millennium Collection turns out to be a very good budget-line series. True, it’s impossible for any of these brief collections to be definitive, but they’re nevertheless solid samplers that don’t feature a bad song in the bunch. For example, take Etta James’ 20th Century volume — it’s an irresistible 11-song summary of her Chess years. There may be a couple of noteworthy songs missing, but many of her best-known songs for the label are here, including “At Last,” “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” “All I Could Do Was Cry,” “Stop the Wedding,” “Pushover,” “Don’t Cry Baby,” “Trust in Me,” “Tell Mama,” “Almost Persuaded” and “I’d Rather Go Blind.” Serious fans will want something more extensive, but this is an excellent introduction for neophytes and a great sampler for casual fans, considering its length and price. That doesn’t erase the ridiculousness of the series title, but the silliness is excusable when the music and the collections are good.

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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Technorati Tags: Etta James

Etta James and Dr. John
Performing Etta’s “I’d Rather Go Blind (Blind Girl)”

Duration: 5:27

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Technorati Tags: Dr. John, etta, Etta James, girl, James

While several best-ofs from Etta’s Chess period have been available over the years — with the two-disc, 44-track Essential Etta James at the top of the list in giving the big picture — this 20-track collection sweats that bigger picture down to bare essentials. For those wishing to finally sample Etta’s classic period at Chess without opening the wallet for box set-anthology expense, this single-disc retrospective will fill the bill quite nicely. Featuring 20 of the tracks that appear on the double-disc Essential anthology without anything literally essential left off, this scintillating little disc now officially becomes the one-stop, first-time purchase in connecting with the emotional greatness inherent in Etta’s siren song. There’s plenty more after this to discover, but this is absolutely where you start.

- Cub Koda, All Music Guide

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Drawn almost entirely from her Argo/Chess recordings of the ’60s (although there are some cuts from the early ’70s), Love Songs is a fine selection of romantic music from one of the greatest blues singers of her generation. There are hits here, highlighted by “At Last,” but mood overrules chart position, so these 14 songs wind up setting a seductive atmosphere and maintaining it from beginning to end. It’s not essential for collectors, although some songs aren’t all that easy to come by elsewhere. Instead, it’s an album for casual fans, those who like James’ style, especially when it’s presented in a romantic setting. For these listeners, it’s very worthwhile.

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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