S.O.U.L.

One of Sony's many budget-line S.O.U.L. compilations, this volume provides a ten-track overview of Labelle's three-year stint on Epic, which yielded the albums Nightbirds, Phoenix, and Chameleon. The disc contains five of the trio's six charting R&B singles, including the number one hit "Lady Marmalade." The lone omission is "Far as We Felt Like Goin'," which barely charted and isn't one of the stronger songs from the albums, so it's not really missed. It's a decent sampler of Labelle's Epic releases, but soul and funk fans will find much to enjoy in the material that did not make the cut. ~ Andy Kellman