Gwen McCrae

Gwen McCrae recorded some fine silky soul and proto-disco for the T.K. subsidiary Cat Records. This 19-track collection has cuts from her four albums made between 1975 and 1979 and also features three duets recorded with her husband, George McCrae, in 1975. Her best album for Cat is Rockin' Chair, and the first six songs are taken from it. "Rocking Chair" is a funky treat matching Gwen's searching with a very funky backbeat and sounds quite similar to her hubby's smash "Rock Your Baby." "It's Worth the Hurt" is another highlight, a tough blues that shows off Gwen's rough and tumble side. The duets with George are fun and funky, an Otis & Carla for the disco era. The rest of the tracks are a little more hit and miss. "Damn Right It's Good" is a powerful stomper with more tough vocals putting men in their proper place; "Let's Straighten It Out" has a sultry, slow groove and some heart-punch vocals; but the rest of the tracks are not as direct and the compilation loses steam as the sound becomes more refined. A respite from encroaching disco blandness comes with the last track, a Betty Wright-produced rocker with some outer-space keyboards and a gritty vocal. This is a decent summation of McRae's career but a better listen would be a two-fer that holds Rockin' Chair and her second record, Something So Right. Unfortunately, West Side decided to group Rockin' Chair with the inferior-to-Something So Right third album, Let's Straighten It Out, leaving The Best of Gwen McCrae your best bet to pick up on this unheralded soul diva. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide