Brenton Wood's 18 Best (CD - 1992)

It's hard not to hear Brenton Wood's biggest hit, "Gimme Little Sign," and not be convinced that it very well might be the greatest single ever cut. It relies on no one thing -- the song is slinky, surprising, and seductive, blessed with a perfect production (the organ break in the middle is positively, eerily beautiful) and a wonderful, understated performance by Wood, who proves with his smooth, sure-handed delivery that he is one of the finest soul singers of his generation. Apart from "Gimme Little Sign" and the cheerful, infectious "Oogun Boogum," he had few blockbusters, but those were two of the best singles of the '60s, and the rest of his canon was uniformly enjoyable, even if lacking songs as undeniable as that pair. Sadly, his catalog still lacks a truly convincing overview of his career, but in a pinch, 18 Best will have to do. Doggedly non-chronological, lacking liner notes or cohesion, and not necessarily spotlighting his best, it still does make a strong case for Wood's talents as a singer and even the weaker material is enjoyable, thanks to his voice and production. It may not be perfect, but it does have a perfect single, one nearly as good, and a bunch of other songs that prove Wood was at the forefront of uptown soul in the '60s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize