A pair of New York soul gems back to back – the third and fourth albums from the legendary
Chuck Jackson! First up is Encore – fantastic work from the great
Chuck Jackson – a singer who was really at the height of his powers during these early years of his career!
Chuck's maybe best known for heartbreaking material – and the notes on the album actually refer, oddly, to these songs as "the crying towel variety" – but what
Jackson brings to his music is this strong sense of pride and power – this depth of reserve that makes you feel like he'll never give up, no matter how hard the going might be – a quality that southern soul singers would soon poach from
Jackson and other singers up north, and make their own style of music. Yet back at the start, few folks did it better than
Jackson – as you'll Hear on cuts that include the wonderful hit "Tell Him I'm Not Home", plus "Lonely Am I", "Blue Holiday", "Getting Ready for the Heartbreak", "Don't Believe Him Donna", "Tomorrow", "Two Stupid Feet", "Another Day", and "Invisible". Next up is Mr Everything – rock-solid set of heartbreaking soul – the sort that few others could touch at the time!
Jackson often doesn't get his due in the history books these days – but records like these were landmark moments of pride, power, and open male emotion – of the sort that went onto inform generations of soul music to come – and help future artists find their way, guided by the emotional frankness of
Jackson's approach! Backings are carefully balanced – tight, but never too polished to overwhelm
Chuck's vocals – which soar out with a raw power that blows away Sam Cooke or some of
Jackson's other contemporaries. Titles include "D-5", "I Need You", "Human", "I'm Your Man", "Tears Of Joy", and "Somebody New".