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Her Best

Etta James
1 disc

1. At Last
2. All I Could Do Is Cry
3. If I Can't Have You
4. Sunday Kind of Love, A
5. My Dearest Darling
6. Something's Got a Hold on Me
7. Trust in Me
8. Next Door to the Blues
9. Don't Cry Baby
10. Fool That I Am
11. Two Sides to Every Story
12. Pushover
13. Stop the Wedding
14. In the Basement, Pt. 1
15. Baby, What You Want Me to Do
16. I'd Rather Go Blind
17. Security
18. Loser's Weepers, Pt. 1
19. All the Way Down
20. Tell Mama
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 9367
Credits

Producer Gabriel Mekler; Andy McKaie; Ralph Bass; Rick Hall; Billy Davis; Andy McKaie (Compilation)
Engineer
This is part of Chess' 50th Anniversary Collection series.
Personnel includes: Etta James (vocals); Harvey Fuqua, Sugar Pie DeSanto.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Etta James (vocals); Jimmy Johnson , David T. Walker, Ken Marco, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Albert Lowe (guitar); Floyd Newman, James Mitchell , Aaron Varnell, Charles Chalmers (saxophone); Gavrell Cooper (tenor saxophone); Gene Miller (trumpet); Dewey Oldham (piano, organ); George Davis, John Young (piano); Vonzell Cooper, Carl Banks, Barry Beckett (organ); William D. "Smitty" Smith (keyboards); David Hood (electric bass); Roger Dawkins, Kenny Rice, Richard Waters, Freeman Brown, Al Duncan (drums); King Errisson (congas).
Liner Note Author: Peter Grendysa.
Recording information: Chicago, IL (01/??/1960-06/19/1970); L.A., CA (01/??/1960-06/19/1970); Muscle Shoals, AL (01/??/1960-06/19/1970); New Era Club, Nashville, TN (01/??/1960-06/19/1970).
Photographers: Jim Marshall ; Ray Avery.
Unknown Contributor Role: Erick Labson.
Arranger: Riley Hampton.
While several best-ofs from Etta James' Chess period have been available over the years -- with the two-disc, 44-track Essential Etta James at the top of the list in giving the big picture -- this 20-track collection sweats that bigger picture down to bare essentials. For those wishing to finally sample Etta's classic period at Chess without opening the wallet for box set expense, this single-disc retrospective will fill the bill quite nicely. Featuring 20 of the tracks that appear on the double-disc Essential anthology without anything literally essential left off, this scintillating little disc now officially becomes the one-stop, first-time purchase in connecting with the emotional greatness inherent in Etta's siren song. There's plenty more after this to discover, but this is absolutely where you start. ~ Cub Koda
Critic Reviews

Down Beat (8/97, p.60) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...this one is a keeper.... over the course of a 20-song program, we hear James during two stays on Chess..."