Soul brother No. 1 1/2. that's the sobriquet singer and keyboardist Bobby Byrd got tagged with. In the course of his 20-year association with James Brown, Byrd proved to be the greatest second voice in pop-music history. The Flavor Flav of his day, Byrd was the yang to Brown's yin, supporting and exhorting the Godfather on such classics as "Sex Machine" and "Soul Power." As arranged by the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Byrd's earthy, churchy vocals went way beyond mere point counterpoint; they were the fulcrum of a carefully balanced groove. During his tenure with Brown, Byrd released many solo recordings, as did others in the J.B. family. Twenty-two of them are collected here on one disc.

Certainly few singers could ride the rhythm as well as Byrd. A versatile vocalist, Byrd breezes through the go-go soul of "I'm Lonely" and a duet with Anna King, "Baby Baby Baby" (no relation to TLC's). The Brown tunes "Sayin' It and Doin' It Are Two Different Things" and "Hang Ups We Don't Need (The Hungry We Got to Feed)" – oh, those lovely, unwieldy J.B. titles! – are predictably anthemic. Part of the joy of Bobby Byrd Got Soul, however, is hearing Byrd and Brown switch roles on "I Know You Got Soul" and "I Need Help (I Can't Do It Alone), Parts 1 and 2" (it's as if Bobby finally got on top, if you know what I'm sayin'). It's wonderful to hear Byrd on "Never Get Enough," romping with a gruff majesty through the final choruses, bellowing, "I can't get enough," with Brown screaming, "Sing it," in the background.

Unfortunately, to truly be The Best of Bobby Byrd, to show the depth of Byrd's ability, there should be a "Sex Machine" or a "Get Up Get Into It and Get Involved." For that matter, where's Byrd's early '70s jam "Back From the Dead" with the immortal opening line "Like Dracula, I'm back from the dead"? Compared to James Brown's Star Time box set, Bobby Byrd Got Soul is merely good entertainment laced with flashes of genius. The problem is, it could have – and should have – been more. (RS 718)

RICHARD TORRES