The Chess Box
You can't have too much Etta James. Really. This long-overdue collection of the singer's Chess recordings includes much of her best work. Three CDs' worth. 72 tracks. Shivers abound just thinking about it. Of course, all the songs you'd expect are here: "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Spoonful," "Something's Got a Hold on Me," "Tell Mama," and, naturally, "At Last," among many, many others. But you don't need me to convince you why Etta James is worth hearing; what you want to know is, is this box set worth the price? Well, it's got almost everything you'd find onAt Last, James's first studio album and widely considered her best, and it includes the same material asHer Best, which up to now was hands-down the best introduction to the glory that is Etta James. But say you've already got that stuff, why would you want this? Well, first of all, the packaging is stellar. A 40-page booklet comes in a handsomely presented box, which contains a wealth of pictures, quotes, and perspectives that do much to illuminate what made James's 16-year period at Chess Records so special. There are definitely a few musical chestnuts here; several previously unreleased tracks, as well as a few that were released as singles only. Notable inclusions are a previously unreleased version of "You Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and a live version of "At Last."  Whether or not it's possible to distill the work of a singer like Etta James down to three CDs, this is a very strong collection and an admirable effort to get the best of Etta all in one place.--Genevieve Williams