Aside from a sole mid-charting hit in 1963,
"Watch Your Step"
(included here), soul singer
Brooks O'Dell
didn't make much of a commercial splash during a career that saw him wander among several labels in the 1960s and '70s. This 26-track CD has much of the material he managed to record, including mid-'60s singles for
Gold
,
Bell
, and
Columbia
; a late-'60s 45 for
Valentine
; early-'70s singles for
Mankind
; a couple unissued mid-'60s cuts for
Scepter
, and previously unreleased tracks produced by
Swamp Dogg
in the early '70s. While some of this is avidly sought after by soul collectors,
O'Dell
was a pretty average if respectable soul singer, with a slightly rougher vocal tone than the typical performer in the genre. Aside from
, some other big names had a role in some of his sessions, with a young
Kenny Gamble
and
Thom Bell
helping to write some of his 1963-1964 sides for
Luther Dixon
's
label. One of those was
"Watch Your Step,"
an impressive uptown soul number, even if it was rather close to
Freddie Scott
's smash
"Hey Girl"
in melody. The minor-keyed 1965 orchestrated single
"You Better Make Up Your Mind"
is another highlight, but otherwise this collection is just an OK listen for the most part, finding
unable to firmly settle on a signature style. There are hints of gutsy blues-soul in
"It Hurts Me to My Heart"
"I Got What It Takes, Pts. 1 & 2 & 3"
(sic), yet
"Walkin' in the Shadow of Love"
sounds like a studied
Brook Benton
imitation. The
-produced cuts are in an updated style, yet are sometimes disappointingly laid-back and anonymous. The collection's unlikely to appeal to a broader audience than soul cultists, but those cultists will appreciate
Kent
/
Ace
's typically attentive packaging and liner notes. ~ Richie Unterberger