Various Artists - Back to the River: More Southern Soul Stories 1961-1978 (2015)

Kent's first 3CD anthology of Southern Soul the award-winning Take Me To The River - was critically and publicly acclaimed in equal measure. It has gone on to become one of the best-selling items in the Ace catalogue and continues to sell well more than half a decade after its release. Southern Soul has so many stories to tell that a second collection was always inevitable. Back To The River has taken the premise of its predecessor and expanded its brief to bring you Southern soul not only from the south, but also southern-styled music from the north, east and west of the United States. As before, the 75 tracks run the gamut from well-known classics to little-known and highly valuable obscurities, topped off with a generous helping of previously unissued titles by familiar names. The booklet abounds with scans of highly desirable 45s and rare photos, and once again each of the 75 tracks gets its own individual annotation. Some of the greatest names in soul music can be heard at their best in a total playing time that runs just a fraction under four hours. Kent's commitment to Southern soul remains as strong as ever and there's much more of it to come in the future.

Tracklist:

CD1 - Muscle Shoals-Memphis Redux
1. Solomon Burke - "I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)"
2. Bettye Lavette - "Nearer To You"
3. William Bell & Judy Clay - "Private Number" (extended version)
4. Otis Redding - "Free Me" (take 1)
5. Bobby Bland - "A Touch Of The Blues"
6. Dee Dee Sharp - "This Love Won't Run Out"
7. Eddie Floyd - "I Got Everything I Need"
8. Gloria Walker & The Chevelles - "Please Don't Desert Me Baby"
9. Sam Baker - "Sugar Man" (extended version)
10. Joe Perkins - "Think I'll Go Somewhere & Cry Myself To Sleep"
11. Jeanie Greene - "Sure As Sin"
12. Rudolph Taylor - "What's That You Got"
13. Mary Wells - "I Found What I Wanted"
14. Melvin Carter - "I've Got Memories" (demo)
15. Joe Simon - "Message From Maria"
16. Mable John - "Problems"
17. OV Wright - "I've Been Searching"
18. Clarence Carter - "She Ain't Gonna Do Right" (demo)
19. Barbara West - "Give Me Back The Man I Love"
20. Bill Coday - "You're Gonna Want Me"
21. Bettye Swann - "I'm Just Livin' A Lie"
22. Jimmy Braswell - "Home For The Summer"
23. Ella Washington - "Too Weak To Fight" (extended version)
24. Na Allen - "Everytime It Rains (Teardrops From My Eyes)"
25. The Soul Children - "Yesterday"

CD2 - Southern Routes
1. Joe Tex - "The Only Girl I've Ever Loved"
2. Brook Benton - "Rainy Night In Georgia"
3. John Fred & The Playboys - "Love Comes In Time"
4. Joey Gilmore - "Somebody Done Took My Baby & Gone"
5. CP Love - "I Found All These Things"
6. Helene Smith - "A Woman Will Do Wrong"
7. Steve Dixon - "Depend On Me"
8. Esther Phillips - "I'm In Love"
9. Sam Dees - "Easier To Say Than Do"
10. Terrie & Joy LaRoy - "Without Love What Would Life Be" (with The Bill Parker Show Band)
11. Count Willie - "I've Got To Tell You" (with LRL & The Dukes)
12. Joe Wilson - "You Need Me"
13. Joe Medwick - "Nearer To You"
14. Della Humphrey - "Your Love Is All I Need"
15. Toussaint McCall - "Nothing Takes The Place Of You"
16. George Perkins - "How Sweet It Would Be"
17. Warren Storm - "Daydreamin'"
18. Stanley Winston - "No More Ghettos In America"
19. Little Beaver - "Do Right Man"
20. Johnny Adams - "(Sometimes) A Man Will Shed A Few Tears Too"
21. Reuben Bell - "Asking For The Truth"
22. Joe Valentine - "I Can't Stand To See You Go"
23. Don Hollinger - "You Got Everything I Need"
24. Charles Crawford - "A Sad Sad Song"
25. Aaron Neville - "Tell It Like It Is"

CD3 - Going Back Home
1. Ground Hog - "Going Back Home"
2. Freddie Scott - "Cry To Me"
3. Little Buster - "Looking For A Home"
4. Jimmy Lewis - "The Girls From Texas" (extended version)
5. Aretha Franklin - "Ain't No Way"
6. Roy C - "I Found A Man In My Bed"
7. Clay Hammond - "Take Your Time"
8. Al Gardner - "Just A Touch Of Your Hand"
9. Don Covay - "You're Good For Me"
10. Billy Sha Rae - "I Found The One"
11. ZZ Hill - "Don't Make Me Pay For His Mistakes"
12. The Soul Brothers Six - "What Can You Do When You Ain't Got Nobody"
13. Otis Clay - "That's How It Is (When Your In Love)"
14. Marion Black - "Go On Fool" (extended version)
15. Fontella Bass - "I Want Everyone To Know"
16. Oscar Weathers - "You Wants To Play"
17. The Fuller Brothers - "(I Want Her) By My Side"
18. Barbara Mason - "Shackin' Up"
19. Willie Hightower - "Don't Blame Me"
20. Lester Young - "Stop"
21. Bill Locke - "Someone To Take Your Place"
22. Lee Moses - "If Loving You Is A Crime (I'll Always Be Guilty)"
23. Timmy Willis - "Easy As Saying 1-2-3"
24. Little Richard - "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me" (part 1 & 2)
25. Bobby Rush - "Mary Jane"