While many bemoan corporations and the business aspects associated with music, at times rightfully so, there is some good that comes out of the nexus of art and commerce. In 2006, Concord Music Group bought Fantasy Records, which included the catalog of Stax Records, the legendary Memphis label that produced a great deal of outstanding soul and R&B music from 1959 to 1976. Concord is relaunching the Stax label and in celebration of Stax’s 50th anniversary, the first release is a two-CD set containing 50 songs from that celebrated catalog.

The set opens with “Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)” by Carla Thomas, one of the artists who helped catch the attention of Atlantic Records, which entered into a distribution deal with Stewart. It’s an R&B love song sounding like many other pop songs of the ‘60s with its strings and background singers. The following track is where the familiar sound of Memphis horns and electric organ fill the air. The near-instrumental “Last Night” is by The Mar-Keys, the first house band for the Stax Label. Three members, Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), Steve Cropper (guitar), and Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass), were also members of Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, who had a huge hit on their own instrumental, and arguably the best of all-time, “Green Onions.”

After The MGs get your heart pumping, prepare to have it broken by Otis Redding as he belts out “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now).” He also performs his hits “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” and “Respect,” although Aretha Franklin’s cover of the latter outperformed Otis’ version.

Soul men Sam & Dave check in with “You Don't Know Like I Know,” “Soul Man,” and “Hold On I'm Comin.” All three songs were written by David Porter and his partner Isaac Hayes, who worked at Stax as a session player. He came out of the studio and began releasing his own albums, featuring the Academy Award-winning “Theme From Shaft” and Burt Bacarach’s hit “Walk On By,” which Hayes weaved into a 12-minute epic; however, here we get the four-and-a-half minute radio edit version.