Easily the most beloved duo in soul history, Sam & Dave (vocalists Sam Moore and Dave Prater) had a remarkable run in the late 1960s, with stone cold R&B classics like "You Got Me Hummin'," "I Thank You," and, most notably, the horn-laden classic "Soul Man," all of which appear on this excellent two-disc 2006 compilation from Rhino Records. The set also includes the passionate "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" (later covered by Elvis Costello) and the gloriously funky "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar," along with a number of underrated gems (the sauntering "I Got Everything I Need," the uplifting "This Is Your World"). For listeners seeking more than the 16-track VERY BEST OF SAM & DAVE, but less than the 50-track SWEAT 'N' SOUL anthology, DEFINITIVE SOUL is the perfect Sam & Dave collection.
Rhino released a terrific double-disc Sam & Dave collection in 1993. Called Sweat 'n' Soul, it weighed in at a generous 50 tracks and contained all of the duo's hits, plus a couple of Sam Moore solo singles and a bunch of lesser-known gems that helped prove the depth of their body of work. Following some 13 years later, 2006's Definitive Soul Collection isn't nearly as comprehensive or definitive as Sweat 'n' Soul. It's a good 20 tracks slimmer for one thing, nor is it as far-ranging in its scope or as attractively packaged, for that matter. But while The Definitive Collection pales when judged against its stellar predecessor, taken on its own terms, it's quite a good compilation, containing all of the duo's biggest songs -- "A Place Nobody Can Find," "You Don't Know Like I Know," "Hold On! I'm Comin'," "You Got Me Hummin'," "I Thank You," "Wrap It Up," and "Soul Man" -- along with a good sampling of the best of the rest. Sweat 'n' Soul may be the first choice for anybody looking for a double-disc set, but if that's hard to find, this is a good substitute. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
