At Last:19 Greatest Hits - Etta James (1LP Vinyl) - Near Mint (NM)

At Last:19 Greatest Hits by Etta James.

Few voices in American music carry the weight, warmth, and raw ache that Etta James brought to the microphone, and this collection gathers nineteen sides that make the case with quiet authority. From the opening bars of "At Last," a song so entwined with her legacy that it is hard to imagine one without the other, this record moves through the many rooms of her artistry: the tender ballad, the sly come on, the gospel charged shout, and the deep blue lament.

The A side alone is a study in range. "At Last" gives way to "The Wallflower" and "All I Could Do Was Cry," two performances that show how effortlessly she could pivot from playful to devastated. "Spoonful" brings a rougher, earthier grind, while "My Dearest Darling" and "Fools Rush In" lean into her gift for romantic longing. By the time "Something's Got A Hold On Me" arrives, followed by "Seven Day Fool" and "How Do You Speak To An Angel?," you have heard a singer who refuses to be boxed into any single category.

Flip the record and the story deepens. "Trust In Me" and "Don't Cry, Baby" ride on that unmistakable ability to sound both wounded and unbowed, and "Stop The Wedding" adds a touch of drama that only she could sell without ever tipping into melodrama. "Fool That I Am" and "Good Rockin' Daddy" swing between heartbreak and swagger, reminders that Etta was as comfortable teasing as she was confessing.

The back half of side B keeps the momentum. "Next Door To The Blues" and "If I Can't Have You" burn with a controlled intensity, while "It's Too Soon To Know" and "Would It Make Any Difference To You" bring a slower, searching tone. The set closes with "Dream," a fitting exhale after so much emotional territory has been covered, leaving the listener suspended somewhere between longing and satisfaction.

Taken together, these nineteen tracks work less like a random assortment of hits and more like a portrait. You get the crossover star, the blues singer, the balladeer, and the rhythm and blues firebrand, all sharing the same grooves. It is the kind of record that rewards a full sit down listen, but that also holds up when you simply drop the needle wherever your mood lands.

For anyone building a serious jazz and blues shelf, or for the listener who has only ever known "At Last" from a wedding dance floor, this is an invitation to go further. Etta James was one of the great interpreters of the twentieth century, and this collection lets her make that argument in her own voice.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. At Last
A2. The Wallflower
A3. All I Could Do Was Cry
A4. Spoonful
A5. My Dearest Darling
A6. Fools Rush In
A7. Something's Got A Hold On Me
A8. Seven Day Fool
A9. How Do You Speak To An Angel?
B1. Trust In Me
B2. Don't Cry, Baby
B3. Stop The Wedding
B4. Fool That I Am
B5. Good Rockin' Daddy
B6. Next Door To The Blues
B7. If I Can't Have You
B8. It's Too Soon To Know
B9. Would It Make Any Difference To You
B10. Dream

Notes:
Track A9 is listed on the sleeve as How Do You Speak To An Ang

Artist: Etta James

Format: 1LP

Genre: Blues

Label: Vinyl Passion

Catalog Number: VP80032

Release Year: 2013

Country: Import

Condition: Used

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM)