Irma Thomas

Summing up 30 years in soul music, Irma Thomas' Simply the Best is one of the great live R&B recordings. A scorching "Time Is on My Side" makes even prime Jagger sound feeble; an Otis medley honors the master; Crescent City classics such as "Iko Iko" never were zestier; and Allen Toussaint's "It's Raining" is balladry of a heart-stopping order.

Debuting in 1958 with the swaggering "You Can Have My Husband (but Please Don't Mess With My Man)," this powerhouse from Ponchatoula, Lou-isiana, went nationwide Top 20 in 1964 with "Wish Someone Would Care." The consistent big time eluded her, however, and Thomas retreated to the congenial intimacies of New Orleans night clubs. There, she reigns. The Way I Feel and The New Rules are prime Thomas, as is My Heart's in Memphis (classic and new songs by Dan Penn, perhaps the preeminent Southern soul songwriter). She's also an epic gospel singer: Witness Walk Around Heaven. Simply the Best and Time Is On My Side are the essential recordings, nearly in a class with vintage Aretha. (PAUL EVANS)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide