Souled / for My Love Mother Music

I heard the originals from the original release date years ago so I knew I like it. He was one of my favor singers the first time I heard Light My Fire and Wichita Lineman.

I had this LP in high school and listened to it practically every day. There are great songs and great arrangements. I have been waiting for years for this to finally come out on CD.

He is so great. Many years ago I saw him in person and was glad I could find this as I only had it on an 8-track!

Good CD.

thanks !!

Two differents album in a cd of two differents eras for the great Jose Feliciano in RCA times.-"Souled", was the LP released immediatly after the big worldwide hit "Light My Fire" and LP "Feliciano!" and this was on same line team Feliciano-Jarrard produced at that time, a great new crossover in american pop music with latin inflections and, here more than other LPs, some R&B and Soul influences. The best here is a standout cover of "He-Heel Sneakers" but not less are "Hitchock Railway", "My World is empty without You", "Hey Baby". All were released like singles in 1968-1969 and were in Top100 Billboard chart and R&B chart and the LP "souled" peak nr 24 in Billboard top200 and nr 4 in R&B Chart USA- Nr.5 in Canada LP, Nr. 6 in Australia. . The "only missing music" here for a Feliciano fan of this era is the absence of instrumentals (ever parts of each productions of that era)-"For My Love, Mother Music" is a completly different story, released in 1974 with a Jose Feliciano transformed in some new "electric" and Funky ways..This is rousing, soaring music, spiced by the presence of Steve Cropper who has co-arranged and co-produced the LP with Jose. Jose sounds very determined his vocals, be they the surging "For My Love" or Harry Chapin's "I Want to Learn a Love Song." There is an appropriate blending of dark, brooding colors on "Blame It on the Sun" while "The Gypsy" has some masterful guitar work. Jose is back in the funky soul field. "I Like What You Give" says that clearly.IN all a package to have for Feliciano Fans but also for who listen one of the most great artists of our time in differents ways,A big Thank You for this label for reissue all Feliciano's album from Rca and help us and new listners to know this underrated (and incredible) musician

Great tracks, v good remastering

Excellent!

Contained in this excellent collection are 2 classy Jose Feliciano albums.The first CD contains the 1969 "souled" which is a collection of covers augmented by the Feliciano style.The album (as the year of release suggests) has a 1960's vibe with some of the lyrics straight out of that decade. It is excellent throughout with my personal favourites being "and the sun will shine", the up tempo "Hitchcock Railway" and the opening track "younger generation".The second album is the fabulous "for my love ...mother music". It's a great collection of covers and Feliciano originals throughout, with it's low points ("shoo-fly" and "world without music") being merely very good. When it hits the high points it's spectacular with special mention going to the guitar work on "The gypsy". There is a stunning version of Steely Dan's "Dirty Work" and an atmospheric version of Stevie Wonders "Blame it on the sun".The production is more rooted in the 70's (the album was released in 74) with the Steve Cropper (of STAX fame) producing the album.Both albums are tastefully remastered, and a big improvement of the worn out vinyl copy I have.If you have a Feliciano best of, and want to explore his music further, this 2 CD set is a good place to start as there are 2 great albums with many tracks that do not typically appear on the compilations.

"Souled" should have been as famous as the never-out-of-production "Feliciano" album, (the one with "Light My Fire"). The singing, guitar playing and choice of tunes are all sublime. It isn't "soul" in the Aretha sense of the word but it is beautiful. "Hitchcock Railway" and "Hi Heel Sneakers" - given top billing on the sleeve - are fun, tours de force and were hits for Feliciano, but there are so many gorgeous gems on this album apart from those. Listen to the pathos in "The Sad Gypsy" and evergreen sentiments that every parent will recognise in "Younger Generation" - also superbly arranged.As for "For My Love ... Mother Music" - this album is also extremely good, with Harry Chapin's "I Wanna Learn A Love Song" being the stand out track to my mind, and should never have been allowed to go out of production in my view, but it doesn't have the overall presence that "Souled" brings.I'm delighted to have "clean" copies back in my collection and look forward to more of Feliciano's forgotten titles being re-released. Fingers crossed.

love Jose , already have the light my fire cd, not keen on this cd, totally different from his usual stuff