The third and most adventurous double-disc
Patti LaBelle compilation released within the several previous years, following 2004's
Philadelphia International-centric
Anthology (released through
The Right Stuff) and 2005's wide-ranging
Gold (
Hip-O),
The Essential Patti LaBelle features a surprising amount of '70s material, a fair portion of which comes from her often overlooked work with the group
LaBelle (who just happened to be prepping a new album at the time of this set's release). A fifth of the material here comes from the
LaBelle albums
Moon Shadow,
Pressure Cookin',
Nightbirds,
Phoenix, and
Chameleon, and it helps prove that there was much more to them than the proto-disco classic
"Lady Marmalade" (included here). The set spans nearly four decades, from an alternate version of 1962's
"I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (with
the Bluebelles) through 1997's
Jam & Lewis-produced
"When You Talk About Love." There's some previously unreleased material as well, including a
Gamble & Huff-produced
"Mean Ol' Man's World" and a disco mix of
Released's
"Release (The Tension)." Most of the major hits are here, solo and otherwise, including the Black Singles/R&B Top Ten hits
"What Can I Do for You?," "If Only You Knew," "New Attitude," and the
Michael McDonald duet
"On My Own." ~ Andy Kellman
