There's an argument that insists that as far back as the early 1950s, Ray Charles virtually invented soul music by fusing together elements of gospel, jazz and blues on tracks such as ‘Mess Around’, but more so on ‘I've Got A Woman’. A little preamble: I have already reviewed most of this excellent material on at least three previous occasions within these hallowed pages. And this is one of a number of back catalogue compilations that regularly hit the shelves – and quite probably will continue to do so well into the next millennium. That said if you haven't already availed yourself of the budget priced 5-CD package in the Atlantic Rhino Original Album Series (8122 79837 9) and desire a fine overview of his Atlantic days, this 3-CD set should suit your requirements and quite probably your wallet. All the familiar hits (far too many to list here) and much more are included plus a couple of surprises in the form of Horace Silver's ‘Doodlin'’ and ‘Bag's Guitar Blues’ with Milt Jackson. Sure, the music's fine but nevertheless, the only drawback is that apart from the track listing, the accompanying booklet is totally devoid of any other relevant information and subsequently drops a star.