Search - Jerry Butler :: Best of Jerry Butler

Probably the best single CD collection

Greg Brady | Capital City | 05/04/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Because Butler has changed labels several times over his 4 decade long career, it's pretty well impossible to get EVERYTHING on 1 disc due to licensing issues. This one does about as good a job as I've seen though:



All his most well-known crossover hits are here: "Moon River" (the definitive version of the tune...sorry Mr. Williams), "He Will Break Your Heart","Make it Easy on Yourself", his duet with Betty Everett for a great cover of the Everly Brothers "Let it Be Me", and soul classic "For Your Precious Love" (with the Impressions). Late 60s comeback pop hits "Hey, Western Union Man" and "Only the Strong Survive" are a bit murkier in many oldies fans memories, but they're nonetheless great songs that deserve to be remembered.



Outside of those, you get several tunes that did well on R&B charts if more unknown to pop fans: Top 10 hits "Find Another Girl","I'm a Telling You", and "Never Give You Up". The only omission from the 50s/60s era is top 10 hit "Are You Happy?" from 1967. (His latter-day 70s stuff isn't here either...probably because of licensing..but you can get that on the Millennium collection, ASIN B00004ZDVY)



Add to that the usual fantastic Rhino job of remastering and liner notes and you have as close to the definitive Jerry Butler single CD compilation as exists for the time being."

Very good choice of songs

Rucho | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 07/27/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent collection of the Ice man on VeeJay records. It only overlaps on 2 songs with his Mercury Very Best compilation.
Only 4 stars because of the sound quality, it could be very much better."