Bar-B-Que Soul-A-Bration comes with a three-ring binder which includes instructions and information for hosting a party, bar-b-que menus, thematic invitation samples for photocopying, games, and lyrics for special karaoke tracks. This is part of Rhino's Party Pack series.
Review:
Generally sounding like the soundtrack to a Black house party or outdoor
BBQ of the 1960s, this gem-laden two-CD set focuses primarily on the soul music
of that era, but isn't without some very R&B-minded jazz and organ-combo
selections. Much of the package (which spans 1952 to 1989) falls into the
Southern soul category, and anyone who's seriously into Southern-style R&B
will be familiar with such classics as Aretha Franklin's “Respect,” Sam
& Dave's “Soul Man,” Booker T. & the MG's' “Green Onions” and
Wilson Pickett's “Land of 1000 Dances.” Meanwhile, the sleeker approach of
Northern R&B is represented by Billy Stewart's “Summertime,” Brenton
Wood's “The Oogum Boogum Song,” the Capitols' “Cool Jerk” and Archie
Bell & the Drells' “Tighten Up.” The jazz that Rhino has included fits
right in because it's groove-oriented and R&B-minded – Jack McDuff's
“Hot Barbecue,” Mongo Santamaria's take on “Watermelon Man” and the
Ramsey Lewis Trio's hit version of “The In Crowd” are a long way from the
cerebral offerings of Ornette Coleman, Jackie McLean and Charles Mingus. And
while this collection takes its key inspiration from the 1960s, it doesn't
exclude Black party music of the 1950s (the Clovers' “One Mint Julep”), the
1970s (Betty Wright's “Clean Up Woman” and the Spinners' “Rubber Band
Man”) or the 1980s. Highly recommended.
All Music Guide – Alex Henderson