Customer Rating: 
Summary: Lou Swings in a Soulful Way!
Comment: This is one of my favorite Low Rawls albums from the period when he was at his best. This album includes some of the tracks that typically appear on the various "best of" compilations (Love is a Hurtin' Thing, On a Clear Day), but my favorite tracks include the monolouge that seamlessly flows into a great version of It Was a Very Good Year, and the singing soulful versions of two standards -- What Now My Love and Autumn Leaves. I highly reccommend this to fans of Lou who maybe are not as acquainted with his work before high big 70s hits.
The album cover is great, too! Very much in the 60's Columbia style.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Soulin' is Smokin'!
Comment: Congratulations- if you are reading this you have found one of the greatest jazz and blues recordings of all time. A young Lou Rawls simply pounds out some classics with a flair to some outstanding big band arrangements. Long before Lou turned more to pop, he belted out great blues. I have to disagree with one of the reviewers in that I actually prefer the uptempo numbers on the first half of the recording, although the second half is terrific as well. "Your'e the One" and "So easy" are best played LOUD. Pick this one up along with Lou Rawls "For you my Love", and you are in for an hour and half swingin' treat.
Customer Rating:
Summary: HOT! HOT! HOT!
Comment: Oh wow!!!! I bought this album in high school in 1967. I am ecstatic it is on CD. The neighbors were glad when we moved, because I played this one LOUD. Now I have good speakers so it can be louder. His songs make a person think as well as laugh. Also if you listen to some of Sam Cooke's recordings you can hear Mr. Rawls in the background.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Soulin' Lou Rawls!
Comment: Here's another great classic Capitol Records album that was originally released in both mono and stereo. Also,the original LP pressings bore a black label with a rainbow perimeter. Stereo copies bore the words "new improved full dimensional stereo" atop the front cover(mono copies were "brought up",to eliminate the aforementioned quote). I wonder if the cover photo setting was re-used for Tony Sandler's & Ralph Young's SIDE BY SIDE album? The setting for that album and this one was solid red. Lou Rawls' Capitol labelmates included Sandler & Young,The Beatles,The Beach Boys,Nancy Wilson,The Lettermen,Glen Campbell and Peter(Asher) & Gordon(Waller). This album,released in or around 1966,marks Rawls' debut,spawning hits like LOVE IS A HURTIN' THING and IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR. I also like DON'T EXPLAIN,WHAT NOW MY LOVE? and AUTUMN LEAVES. Rawls' string of hits continued into the 1970's,which includes 1978's LADY LOVE. Capitol's original catalog number was ST 2566(stereo) and for mono,T 2566. Great album!
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Richness of Lou Rawls
Comment: My introduction to the voice of Lou Rawls was this very fine work. I was only in high school at the time, but my friend and I played this one over and over. From the opening number "Whole Lotta Woman" you know that you are in for a swingin' time. The ballad "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing" and "Breakin' My Back" were played on top 40 radio. (And with good reason.) "You're The One" is a wild, soulful number. Lou's "Don't Explain" is one of the sassiest versions ever done! There is a little story as Lou sings "Memory Lane" and continues with a monologue followed by "It Was A Very Good Year". Lou is very loose as he gives this song new definition and life. No one has ever sung "On A Clear Day" like this before or since. Instead of a ballad, Lou sings this song uptempo, but with conviction.
All of the songs on this CD were recorded flawlessly. The musicians on this work were very gifted as well as inspired. I only wish that they had been acknowledged in the liner notes as they deserved to be. They perfectly complete one of the best all-time greatest collection of songs.
If you are a Lou Rawls fan, this is a must for your collection. But if you love an excellent male "uptempo" jazz singer, this is a must for your collection as well. Get it before it is forever gone. You will want to play it over and over again "to satisfy your soul".
