"Evidence: The Complete Fame Masters" - Candi Staton

While Candi Station is by no means an unknown Soul singer, it is my opinion that she is one of the most underrated. The work that she did at Fame Studios during the late 1960s and early 1970s is among the most vital, soulful and propulsive Soul music to ever be committed to wax. And thankfully Ace Records has finally brought all of these recordings together in one very complete collection, along with a few unreleased tracks.

There is a lot of heartache and longing on this double CD. From the distraught "Someone You Use" to the funky and liberated "Evidence," Candi sings about the hurt caused by love. Possibly the most agonizingly poignant performance is her take on "How Can I Put Out The Flame (When You Keep The Fire Burning)", which is about a woman who can't get over a man and until he's out of her life. The latter two songs were co-written by George Jackson, who co-wrote most of the greatest songs on this album and has written such hits as "One Bad Apple" and "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll". He also co-wrote her first hit, the charging and hilarious "I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool)". There are also a number of interesting covers on this album. Her take on the Soul standard "That's How Strong My Love Is" is a lovely declaration of fidelity and her hit version of Tammy Wynette's Country standard "Stand By Your Man" is a fascinating piece of Country Soul.

While Candi Staton is not as well-known as the likes of Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick or Gladys Knight, and therefore consequently her career has not been as long-lived, the performances captured on this double-CD are equal to the best works of these singers and deserving of a much wider audience.