Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Laura Lee Rundless has had a fascinating musical career. Having begun as a teenage member of gospel's Meditation Singers (who were also a launch pad for jazz/MOR diva Della Reese) by the mid-'60s she had switched to R&B and recorded at least one soul classic, "Dirty Man", down at Rick Hall's Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals. Then in the early '70s she was signed to the Hot Wax label run by ex-Motown men Holland/Dozier/Holland. It was the recordings she made with them which make up this compilation - largely of songs written by the Motown trio and producer William Weatherspoon - all of which tap into the singer's dedication to the cause of women's rights to a backdrop of soulful grooves adorned with strings and occasional brass. Tracks like "Woman's Love Rights", "Wedlock Is A Padlock" and "If I'm Good Enough To Love (I'm Good Enough To Marry)" do exactly what they say on the tin and the general theme of each song is kicking against a man who is committing adultery left, right and centre. Not that it doesn't work the other way around with tracks like "Since I Fell For You" (reportedly dedicated to her then beau, the legendary soul singer Al Green) suggesting that it takes two to tango. Subject matter aside, what comes across strongly is the calibre of Lee's voice and, despite not receiving the same fame and recognition thanks to battling and ultimately overcoming cancer when her career was just taking off, she was very much in the same league as Aretha or Erma Franklin in terms of intensity and authenticity of vocal performance. Having said that, her semi-spoken rendition of "At Last" is not a patch on the Etta James definitive although it does - along with the solitary sacred number "You've Got To Save Me" - offer up an alternative to the collection's near relentless theme of heartbreak, dysfunctional relationships and aggro.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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