Sam & Dave's Stax recordings have been compiled often, especially in the CD era. After 1993's definitive double-disc
Sweat 'n' Soul: Anthology (1965-1971), the floodgates opened, with Rhino and Warner releasing several excellent single-disc comps and budget-line discs piling up alongside them. Released as part of Rhino's 60th anniversary celebration of Stax,
Stax Classics belongs to this long line of hits discs, and it is a solid collection of
Sam & Dave's basics. Given that it's a lean 12 songs, it's missing some hits -- "You Don't Know Like I Know," "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody," and "Wrap It Up" aren't here, for starters -- but this has the biggest hits ("Hold On, I'm Comin'," "Soul Man," "I Thank You," "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby," "You Don't Know Like I Know," "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down") and it hums along smoothly, providing a lot of bang for the buck. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine