![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
236 - Jackie Wilson - Mr. Excitement
Apr. 30th, 2013 01:53 pmThis is a 3 CD box set of 72 songs. OK, Rolling Stone judges...WTF! I'm sick of these box sets on the list. Should they be completely banned? I wouldn't want to say that. There is such a thing as a compilation album being great. But is Mr. Excitement the 236th best collection of music in the past century? NO!
All due respect to Jackie Wilson. His vocals were strong, dramatic, and charismatic. He had a long career that saw him perform music of numerous styles.
I'm kinda sick of these box sets on the list for non-philosophical reasons, too. Practically speaking, many box sets aren't available on Rhapsody or via playlist on YouTube. I'm very sick of having to assemble tracks in order to recreate the box set on the Rolling Stone list. It is such a PITA to do a track by track search, add that track to the playlist, and repeat that process 70+ times. So, starting with this collection...box sets of more than 2 CDs will only get one listen. Albums of new material or compact compilations are intended for repeat listens. Once you get a box set of 3 or more CDs, the listener isn't likely to go through the whole thing in one sitting. Box sets are for die-hard fans and for "grazing" and not the 45-80 minute artistic experience that benefits from engrossing yourself or listening to again and again.
Okay...now back to reviewing Mr. Excitement. I'll go ahead and lay this out there - I don't care for most of Jackie's music. I found him over-the-top. His pop releases made me cringe and feel grateful that rock liberated us from such orchestral standards.
But that voice. DAMN! I hate much of the music he used his voice with. I, however, cannot deny the strength and power of that voice. He could never sing in a coffee shop. Jackie's recordings all seem as if he's on the sidewalk trying to serenade someone over the urban noise of the street. I think Jackie Wilson and Ethel Merman are different sides of the same coin - vocally.
Songs I Knew I Liked: None, really - "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher" I knew, but hesitate to say I "liked" it.
Songs I Now Like: "A Woman A Lover A Friend" and "Whispers (Getting Louder)"
Songs I Can Go the Rest of My Life Never Hearing Again: "St. Therese of the Roses," "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," "Danny Boy (I really hate this song, so my ever finding a version of the song I do like would be news)," "Singing a Song," "Night," "Baby Workout," and "(I Can Feel Those Vibrations) This Love is Real"
All due respect to Jackie Wilson. His vocals were strong, dramatic, and charismatic. He had a long career that saw him perform music of numerous styles.
I'm kinda sick of these box sets on the list for non-philosophical reasons, too. Practically speaking, many box sets aren't available on Rhapsody or via playlist on YouTube. I'm very sick of having to assemble tracks in order to recreate the box set on the Rolling Stone list. It is such a PITA to do a track by track search, add that track to the playlist, and repeat that process 70+ times. So, starting with this collection...box sets of more than 2 CDs will only get one listen. Albums of new material or compact compilations are intended for repeat listens. Once you get a box set of 3 or more CDs, the listener isn't likely to go through the whole thing in one sitting. Box sets are for die-hard fans and for "grazing" and not the 45-80 minute artistic experience that benefits from engrossing yourself or listening to again and again.
Okay...now back to reviewing Mr. Excitement. I'll go ahead and lay this out there - I don't care for most of Jackie's music. I found him over-the-top. His pop releases made me cringe and feel grateful that rock liberated us from such orchestral standards.
But that voice. DAMN! I hate much of the music he used his voice with. I, however, cannot deny the strength and power of that voice. He could never sing in a coffee shop. Jackie's recordings all seem as if he's on the sidewalk trying to serenade someone over the urban noise of the street. I think Jackie Wilson and Ethel Merman are different sides of the same coin - vocally.
Songs I Knew I Liked: None, really - "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher" I knew, but hesitate to say I "liked" it.
Songs I Now Like: "A Woman A Lover A Friend" and "Whispers (Getting Louder)"
Songs I Can Go the Rest of My Life Never Hearing Again: "St. Therese of the Roses," "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," "Danny Boy (I really hate this song, so my ever finding a version of the song I do like would be news)," "Singing a Song," "Night," "Baby Workout," and "(I Can Feel Those Vibrations) This Love is Real"
