Arthur Alexander - The Greatest

Arthur Alexander
The Greatest
Ace Records
Compact Disc
flac




Track Listings
1. Anna
2. You're The Reason
3. Soldier Of Love
4. I Hang My Head And Cry
5. You Don't Care
6. Dream Girl
7. Call Me Lonesome
8. After You
9. Where Have You Been
10. A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues
11. Don't You Know It
12. You Better Move On
13. All I Need Is You
14. Detroit City
15. Keep Her Guessing
16. Go Home Girl
17. In The Middle Of It All
18. Whole Lot Of Trouble
19. Without A Song
20. I Wonder Where You Are Tonight
21. Black Night

Arthur Alexander may have been overshadowed by the performers who covered his songs (the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bee Gees, etc), but he was never out-performed by his peers.
Like most baby boomers, I first became aware of Alexander when the Beatles covered "Anna" on The Early Beatles. Then about ten years ago I picked up a used copy of a mid-Eighties Rhino release called Beatle Originals. It featured thirteen original versions of songs that the Beatles covered on their early albums. Among the tracks was Alexander's touching version of "Anna." Lennon did a nice job of copying Alexander's vocal style and it would show up again on songs like "In My Life." [Lennon would also provide the lead vocal on another of Alexander's songs, "Soldier of Love," which can be heard on Live At The BBC.]
Alexander shared something else in common with Lennon besides great taste in song selection. They were both born in 1940. Why Alexander's Beatles connection never resulted in a major career boost is puzzling. His only Top 40 hit was the tender "You Better Move On" in 1962.
This is terrific country-soul from one of the music world's best but mostly forgotten talents. In Dave Marsh's book The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made, he included both "Anna" and "Soldier of Love." This is a fitting tribute to an amazing singer. Alexander died of a heart attack in 1993. This Ace collection covers all the highlights from his tenure atand belongs in in any serious collector's music library. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED