Bold Soul Sister
Marc200 | Los Angeles, CA | 11/27/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In the wrong hands "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" would be hard to appreciate. Gil Scott-Heron's version is a strung out, personal counterpart to Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" and it is very "male" -- angry, unapologetic and confrontational. The idea of a woman singing it is almost distasteful. Of course, Esther Phillips has always been unique; she channels rage and despair in equal measure, and her version is a masterpiece. Although the funky backing track is somewhat dated -- or some would say "vintage". "Home" is the highlight of this compilation and coming in a close second is the slow-burning "From A Whisper To A Scream" . Phillips is an acquired taste, if you only like sweet, pretty voices then she's not the one. Her tart, bluesy delivery is vaguely reminiscent of Dinah Washington but also evokes bits of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone -- without ever truly sounding like any of these ladies or anyone else. She imbues the finest moments here with a guttural pathos: "I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do" and "That's Allright With Me". Her super-funky version of the oft-covered "Use Me" is easily one of the best. "Brother, Brother" is another strong cover. The disco-ish material is the weakest link, the muzak-like arrangements undermine her interpretative gifts on "Native New Yorker" and "What A Diff'rence A Day Made". The one exception is the chugging cover of Sharon Ridley's "Changin'". This is a very solid compilation and is one of my favorite purchases of 2004."
EARTHY ESTHER'S ANTHOLOGY MASTERPIECE!!!
Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 02/23/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nobody could quite do with a song what this classic but sadly overlooked DIVA could do when it came to raw earthy emotion with a rough gritty edge to it. Esther would get into deep soul with a street smart sense like a female Curtis Mayfield or do a classic torch song such as "A Beautiful Friendship" with so much beauty and emotion that her version would become the definitive one every time! Once your hooked on this masterful artist you will go back for more over and over again!! This wonderful Anthology covers almost a decade of Esther's work and some five albums are represented here but for my taste this collection should have been at least a double set but for now this will do for those of us hungry for Esther's work on compact disc!! Esther left us at a young age twenty years ago and I miss looking for a new release from her or going to see her hypnotizing audiences in concert like only she could do!! Esther's real masterpiece is one of the greatest albums of all time by any vocalist. "From A Whisper To A Scream" is a legendary work for it greatness and for the fact that Aretha Franklin was completely blown away when the Grammy Award went to her instead of Esther that she officially gave it to Esther in a brave and bold gesture to a fellow artist who was clearly deserving!! This was a first in Grammy history and I have always admired Lady Soul for this incredibly unselfish act!! From this masterpiece comes the opener "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" and it is a scorcher that goes deep inside the song and gives one a real lifetime experience unlike any other!!! Esther does justice to Carole King's "Brother, Brother" also and "From A Whisper To A Scream" needs to be reissued again and should like any classic always be available. Bill Withers "Use Me" and the classic "Stormy Weather" get great funky workouts in Esther's hands and she really makes these standards her own. Esther had a huge international hit with "What A Difference A Day Makes" with Jeff Beck and they burn the groove with this classic!! Equally hot is Esthers killer version of "Native New Yorker" that makes the hit version pale in comparison-Esthers should have been the hit version for sure!!! Two other great standouts that have me hitting that repeat button over and over are a gorgeous and earthy song called "Changing" and "You Think Of Him (You Think Of Her) which is hypnotic and wildly funky! One could go on about every one of the great eighteen tracks here but the best I can say is just go ahead and order this awesome collection!! I guarantee you this will be a life changing experience and once this original classic gets under your skin you will be seeking out everything she recorded and this one is really the definition of what a DIVA is!!!!"
The Great Late Esther Phillips: The Later Years
Truth | DC | 09/13/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Esther Phillips's voice is very distinctive; much like that of Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, and Macy Gray, it is an acquired taste. It may indeed be a voice one will either Love or Hate.
ANTHOLOGY is a UK-made non-chronological compilation consisting of 18 of Ms. Esther Phillips's recordings on Kudu (1971-1977, tracks 1-10) and Mercury (1977-1981, tracks 11-18) record labels. Booklet includes an essay by David Nathan, five quarter-to-half page photos, minimal track information, and no lyrics.
This is only for the most devoted of Esther fans; there are only two tracks on "Anthology" not included in the Australian import "Home Is Where the Hatred Is: The Kudu Years 1971-1977" [2004] or the UK import "The Best of the Mercury Years" [2006]: Carole King's "Brother Brother" (from the 1990 re-issue of 1971's "From a Whisper to a Scream") and 1976's "All the Way Down" (previously recorded by Esther's friend Etta James).
As with most of Esther's music, this collection spans the genres of Blues, Soul, Jazz, Pop, Rock, R&B, and Funk. There is even some Disco (a re-interpretation of the standard "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes").
Since there is no comprehensive Esther Phillips disc and no boxed set available, I would recommend the following: The Rhino 2-disc set "The Best of Esther Phillips 1962-1970" [1997], "Home Is Where the Hatred Is: The Kudu Years 1971-1977" [2004], and "The Best of the Mercury Years" [2006]. She also had an earlier career as Little Esther; there is no comprehensive compilation of those recordings either, but there are a number of re-issues of Little Esther recordings.
I am partial to her later recordings. I wish her post-Mercury material was available (she recorded singles for several independent labels and her appropriately-titled final album "A Way to Say Goodbye" for the Muse label, which includes "No Where to Run"). I'd recommend "Anthology" as an alternative to getting both the Kudu and Mercury compilations; but the Kudu set includes some of my favorite Esther tracks: "I Can Stand a Little Rain", "Disposable Society", and the phenomenal "Justified".
Since "Anthology" is an import, the price can fluctuate greatly, so proceed with caution.
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Track Listings (18) - Disc #1