Stax Classics

Released as part of Rhino's celebration of Stax's 60th anniversary, Stax Classics is part of a long line of Booker T. & the M.G.'s compilations. It's not as extensive as either 2006's double-disc set The Definitive Soul Collection or 2007's 20-track single-disc The Very Best of Booker T. and the M.G.'s, but it's a tight 12 songs containing the group's biggest hits -- "Green Onions," "Hip Hug-Her," "Time Is Tight," "Groovin'," "Soul Limbo" -- along with such excellent singles as "Mo' Onions" and "Boot-Leg," so it's a good choice for listeners who don't want to take a deep dive into the soul combo's catalog. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine