Percy Sledge's fate and fame will forever rest on the shoulders of his massive 1966 hit, the forlorn ballad "When a Man Loves a Woman." With its funeral pace and churchy organ, coupled with Sledge's pleading, compassionate vocal, "When a Man Loves a Woman" is one of the most fascinatingly desperate songs in pop history. Although he was one of Southern soul's greatest singers, Sledge never got that near the sun again. His take on Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn's "It Tears Me Up" was a great single, though, and his covers of "Dark End of the Street" and Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me" are solid. Unfortunately, only "When a Man Loves a Woman" is included here, and while Sledge is always a fine country soul singer no matter what he takes on, this set feels a bit like K-Tel covers collection. ~ Steve Leggett
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