1988 LP Red Lightnin' 0074
1995 CD Drive 3221
2003 CD P-Vine Japan 5320
Drawn from Curtis' peak during the late '50s and '60s, this collection,
while diverse, is shaky at best. It contains none of his most familiar
soul and R&B hits (although an early run-through of "Memphis Soul
Stew" is included), and is a prime example of how record producers of
the era (in this case, Atlantic Records co-founder Herb Abramson) would
surround great players like Curtis with sub-par singers, session men
and material. As a result, Curtis' excellent sax playing wound up
sharing grooves with a one-note, 20-second guitar solo on "Soul Groove
Part II," or cutting songs like Jimmy Breedlove's "Don't Be Cruel"
rehash "Jealous Fool" — hardly material fit for King.
