Soul4real Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Electric guitarist and singer Barbara Lynn was an undisputed legend of Memphis funk, blues and soul. Her paean for desirability, 'Unloved Unwanted Me', was a full-on lamentation of the human condition in album form. While the album was originally shelved for a time in 1968, it later found a way out of production hell and managed to rock the worlds of all listeners around, despite its distinct lack of guitar compared to Lynn's other albums.

Review: Soul4Real's second album is a second collection of soul gems featuring all of the genre's most celebrated artists from the early years. These are 'originally unreleased tracks' which kick off with a brace from Bobby Bland and his guttural, raw vocals. Etta James then features with the Chicago sounds of 'I Never Meant To Love Him' from a Philly session recorded with Bobby Martin, and two other gems before the mysterious Fontella Bass keeps it heartwrenching with 'Joy Of Love.' The flip side features the likes of Johnny Bristol, David Ruffin and a super slow and tender lament from Marvin Gaye in the form of 'I Wish I Didn't Love You So.'

Review: Whatever condition your condition is in, Soul4Real have brought together a crack team of the finest soul physicians to ensure you're feeling good. Having scoured all the shelves in the soul pharmacy - and handing out said potions like candy, despite them having only just made it through the trial stage - we can vouch, as your guinea pigs, that Soul Prescription is indeed the curatorial penicillin, a cure-all panacea for the soul-starving. From Arthur Alexander's magnificent 'I Need You Baby', which reached legendary status during the tape-swapping epidemic of the late 70s/early 80s, to repeat prescriptions of Maxine, Gil Scott-Heron and the Isleys, this one's anything but a placebo.