various artists / albums

Mega Soul spans four discs and 100 songs (25 for each volume) and compiles several stripes of soul and funk singles from the '60s and '70s. This is one of those sets that, while a little uneven and hardly a recommendable introduction, is fun to plow through -- whether you're refamiliarizing yourself with this stuff or are simply curious. Some of the highlights include Bobby Womack's "Across 110th Street," Cymande's "The Message," Lee Dorsey's "Working in a Coalmine," Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up," Gil Scott-Heron's "The Bottle," Rufus Thomas' "Do the Funky Chicken," the Dixie Cups' "The Chapel of Love," and Ripple's "I Don't Know What It Is, but It Sure Is Funky." Unless you're a hardcore soul fan, this should have no trouble plugging at least a few gaps in your collection. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi