Hundred Pounds of Clay/Tower of Strength

2 LPs on 1 CD.
Rather confusingly, all of the Gene McDaniels retrospectives on the market use variations of his hit "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" as their titles. BGO's A Hundred Pounds of Clay/Tower of Strength differs slightly in both its name -- incorporating another one of his big hits into the title -- and in content, offering songs that are closer to traditional vocal pop than either the lively singles that brought him success or the jazz and R&B on which he cut his teeth. McDaniels' rich, expressive vocals add a depth and dignity to songs like "Take Good Care of Her" and "Angels in the Sky" that other singers may not have been able to provide, but unfortunately much of the material still ends up sounding rather stuffy. Covers of "It's All in the Game," "'Till There Was You," "You Belong to Me," and (especially) Dee Clark's "Raindrops" seem like they should be a perfect fit for McDaniels, but the overwrought arrangements and sleepy tempos render them nearly as stultifying as the rest of the collection. On the bright side, "Send for Me" is one of the catchiest of the lesser-known songs here, while "Make Me a Present of You"'s sly sultriness helps it stand out. And, of course, "A Hundred Pounds of Clay," "Tower of Strength," "A Little Bit of Soap," "(There Was A) Tall Oak Tree," and "I Don't Want to Cry" still have all of their playful, often bittersweet charm, and arguably stand out even more compared to some of the duller songs here. Frustratingly, this collection features more of McDaniels' best-known songs than the more entertaining Collectables retrospective A Hundred Pounds of Clay: The Best of Gene McDaniels, which doesn't have as many hits but is more in keeping with the sound that won him fans. The true McDaniels fan will need both collections, but someone looking for just his definitive singles will have to wade through the boring stretches of A Hundred Pounds of Clay/Tower of Strength to hear them. ~ Heather Phares