Working with R&B's finest producers (Jerry Wexler, Rick Hall, Gamble-Huff, Tom Dowd) and best sidemen (that's Duane Allman's guitar on "A Man And A Half," and an impressive "Hey Jude"), Pickett turned fast ("Land of 1000 Dances,") slow ("634-5789," "Mustang Sally,") hard ("You Keep Me Hangin' On" Staxifies the Vanilla Fudge arrangement!) soft ("I Found A True Love"), groovy ("Mama Told Me Not to Come") and even bubblegum (hear what happens to "Sugar Sugar") into Memphis/Muscle Shoals soul stew. Legendary Philadelphia DJ Hy Lit covered it when calling Pickett's music "psychedelic soulization."

The hits, some of the 60s sweatiest and intense, are all here, ironically ending at the beginning with three songs Pickett recorded with the Falcons (his hit "If You Need Me," is here, but not "You're So Fine.") His voice is powerful and raw, raising the roof, testifying about the infamous "midnight hour," but without the controlled fury he gave the rest, and best, of his music. This is R&B coming at you 90 miles an hour, three minutes at a time, and is an essential set from a soul survivor.


All The Hits and Then Some   April 19, 2004
Glenn Nippert (Alpharetta, Georgia United States)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

If you buy this album for the well known classics-"Mustang Sally", "In The Midnight Hour", "634-5789", "Land Of A 1,000 Dances" and "Funky Broadway", you will not be disappointed as they are all here. But after you've heard them all a couple of dozen times, you will find yourself going crazy over his versions of late sixties hits like "Mama Told Me Not To Come", "You Keep Me Hangin'On" and even "Sugar, Sugar", the song made popular by the cartoon group The Archies. Damn if Wilson doesn't make this as soulful and alive as "A Man and A Half" or any of his other classic soul hits. That would be more than enough for most greatest hits albums, but this one doesn't stop there. It goes back to his early success with his vocal group The Falcons for "I Found A Love" and early solo songs like "It's Too Late" and "If You Need Me". There are 24 songs on this album, and it's a single disc!! If you want liner notes and pictures, get the Rhino compilation, but if you want the strongest single disc career retrospective available, then buy this one. You'll be glad you did!


Don't Fight It   February 7, 2000
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

Otis Redding was the master, but if there was ever a record to define the entire Stax/Volt soul era, Wilson Pickett's classic '65 Don't Fight It/In The Midnight Hour would be the only choice. Real soul, gospel soul, straight from the baptist church.. Steve Cropper & co. redefined rhythm & blues and I-IV-V arrangements.. This record takes you to the beginning in Memphis, uncovers a few gems along the way, through Muscle Shoals, Miami, Philadelphia, back to Muscle Shoals, and back to Memphis.. 24 tracks in all, and every one of them, and I do mean every one of them, is a keeper.. One of the most playable records and greatest greatest hits packages ever made.. Atlantic outdid themselves here.. Don't waste your time with any of the other compilations, this is by far the best..


Definitive collection   January 13, 2003
Kari Aevarsson (Iceland)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

For someone who only wants one Wilson Pickett compilation, I think this is the one to go for. 'A Man And A Half - The Best Of' has maybe a bit too much for the less dedicated fan, while Rhino's 'Very Best Of' only has 16 tracks compared to the 24 featured on 'Greatest Hits'. True Pickett fanatics need this anyway - it's the only CD to contain his great reading of 'Mama Told Me Not To Come'.


Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits   March 20, 2000
Howard L. Gayheart (USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

A must for any collector of soul or R&B treasures. Wilson's cover of Mama Told Me Not to Come, Hey Jude and Sugar, Sugar were a pleasant surprise to me. Track 22 I Found A Love, sounds just like the 45rpm--very authentic with marginal engineering.