It Tears Me Up The Best of Percy Sledge

Amazon.com
This 23-track collection illustrates the breadth of the soul singer best known for "When a Man Loves a Woman." An Alabama native, Sledge is backed by the giants of the Muscle Shoals rhythm section, and they lock rhythms like brothers. Unafraid to croon his magic on other artists' signature ballads--"The Dark End of the Street," "Try a Little Tenderness," "Rainbow Road," and "Love Me Tender"--Sledge also has command of the dance floor. His "Put a Little Lovin' on Me" and "Love Me Like You Mean It" corral the energy of James Brown and jump with the funk. --Robert Gordon

Reader Reviews
If you think Percy Sledge starts and ends with "When a Man Loves a Woman", then you should really check this CD out. His soulful, vulnerable delivery highlights sad songs and love songs alike. The title cut "It Tears Me Up" and "Dark End of the Street" are some of the srongest soul singing I have ever heard. He covers Elvis' "Love Me Tender" and sings it so sweetly, he effortlessly makes it his own. He possessed the unique talent to really make you feel the emotion of a song. Perhaps he is not as well remembered as some Soul greats like James Brown or Wilson Pickett because he was not as dynamic or charismatic, but as much as I love those guys, Percy could sing rings around both of them. This is a classic collection becuse it covers all the bases- songs of love, songs of heartache, uptempo dance cuts, even country flavored numbers like "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road". Percy Sledge was not a flashy stage performer, rather he had to rely entirely on vocal ability and as a result his studio recordings hold up exceptionally well. True talent never goes out of style.Thanks to this album, Percy is a Soul giant for all time.  Comment | Permalink |  (Report this)


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