CASTLE MUSIC

Laura Lee - Women's Love Right - The Hot Wax Anthology

Released on 18 November 2002.

As far as I can see this is a repackaging of Love Rights and Wrongs issued by Deep Beats about five years ago, with a different running order and packaging. It is so good to see this kind of Deep Soul available because it is not the most commercially viable genre going. There are some cracking tracks (listing below) on this album, some really good hard soul and one or two uptempo. Despite this it is actually quite heavy going listening to a double CD set like this in one go, so take it in smaller doses and admire it and take it in.

Laura's more popular material is on here like, and she really did create or form part of a niche of Love rights type material, lyrically strong from a woman's perspective, strong soulful delivery. The higher tempo opener Wedlock is a padlock is such a song. The follow up Women's Love Rights actually achieved a minor chart placing. Love and Liberty continued this liberated theme paving the way for the likes of Millie Jackson.

A change in tempo with Don't be Sorry Be Careful if you can't be good, more bouncy and a track that could, maybe has, get plays on the UK Northern scene, But really Laura excelled on the harder material and her version of Since I fell for you must rank as one of her finest. The opening monologue grabs your attention and it builds until that sweet strong vocal kicks in.

Two Lonely Pillows and Thats how strong my love is are strong tracks before the upbeat and more commercial, both in delivery and as it turned out sales. There were covers given the Laura treatment like 'When a man loves a women'- largely these versions worked.

There is some diversion into Gospel and 'You've got to save me' particularly is very good. Laura's voice is less strained on this kind of material and I think benefits from it for that reason. As time went on the material became a little thinner, maybe partly due to the fact that the style had run a course. Good tines however were tried again like Every Little bit hurts.

Remember Me is one of my favourites, with an upbeat tempo, and less strained delivery, kind funky beat and good harmonies. I can't hold on much longer is very good to but only saw light as a bside.

The best of three albums are on show here and they very conjure up good memories of an era, songs that were eulogised by the Soul Connoisseur at the time, and are captured once again here.