TITLE: The Sound of Philadelphia: Gamble & Huff’s Greatest Hits (Legacy)

ARTISTS: A collection of Philly Soul artists including: The O’Jays, The Three Degrees, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and Billy Paul.

STARS: 4 out of 5 Stars

SOUNDS LIKE: The sweet soul and lush arrangements that typified the Philly Sound of the 1970s.

The O’Jays. MFSB. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Teddy Pendergrass. Bill Paul. The Three Degrees. These are some of the names of the artists who typified the Philly Soul sound. A sound that was more polished than Stax Records and more sophisticated than Motown. Philly Soul producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff created a lush sweetly soulful sound with lush string arrangements that combined elements of pop, jazz, world music and disco.

This 14 song CD includes the O’Jay’s “Backstabbers,” McFadden and Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” and other familiar Philly Soul hits from the 1970s and 1980s.

It’s feel good pop R & B that’s become a foundation for much of today’s neo soul movement. The perfect sound track for a old school party.

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TITLE: Conquer the World: The Lost Soul Of Philadelphia International Records (Legacy)

ARTISTS: Songs from Bunny Sigler, Dee Dee Sharp, The Mellow Moods, Frankie and the Spindles and other early Philly artists.

SOUNDS LIKE: pop inflected, 1960s sounding R &B from the early, lesser known Philly Soul artists.

STARS: 3 out of 5 Stars

TEXT: These are the hits from the early Philly soul artists who for whatever reason never became popular outside of the Philadelphia bars and neighborhoods. The lush instrumetation and soulful vocals that typifies the Philly Sound is here in its early stages. It’s sounds simpler and unfinished as if serving as the blueprint for things to come.

Ruth McFadden’s “Ghetto Woman” is as forceful and hard hitting as the O’Jay’s “Backstabbers.” And Johnny Williams’s “It’s So Wonderful” a string enhanced light hearted celebration of love, sounds like a Harold Melvin and th Blue note outtake.

But overall the 16 songs are easily forgettable. They lack the nostalgic advantage of songs from the O’Jays and other artists of the later version of the Philly Sound for anyone outside Philadelphia.

However, this collection might attract listeners of that simpler style of 1960s soul.