• Track Listing

The Staples were already gospel legends, but exploded into the mainstream once their golden voices were paired with producer Steve Cropper and the mighty Booker T. & the M.G.’s. Their Stax recordings turned the Staples into soul superstars, and now you can get all their Stax studio albums in one absolutely beautiful box. Housed in a slipcase are seven 180-gram vinyl LPs plus a deluxe booklet with archival photos and new liner notes. Let’s work in reverse, starting with disc seven: a collection of rarities and non-album singles ("Stay with Us," "Brand New Day," "Walking in Water over Your Head," "Oh La De Da," "I Got to Be Myself" and "Trippin’ on Your Love") plus live 1972 Wattstax performances ("Heavy Makes You Happy," "Are You Sure," "I Like the Things About Me," "Respect Yourself" and their most pleasing of crowd pleasers, "I’ll Take You There"). Discs one through six: their LPs "Soul Folk in Action," "We’ll Get Over," "The Staple Swingers," "Be Altitude: Respect Yourself," "Be What You Are" and "City in the Sky." This is a sublime (and oh so funky) set of Stax Staples classics, led by the force of nature that is Mavis; scores of fantastic album tracks join their hits "Love Is Plentiful," "Heavy Makes You Happy," "You’ve Got to Earn It," "Respect Yourself," "I’ll Take You There," "This World," "Be What You Are," "If You’re Ready (Come Go with Me)," "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend," "City in the Sky," "My Main Man," Staples spins on "(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay," "The Weight," "Everyday People," "Games People Play"…a luxurious set full of many of the most soulful performances ever captured on tape and presented on wax! Craft.