Jose Feliciano

This disc delivers exactly what it promises — a rather unorthodox mix of hits ("Light My Fire," "She's A Woman," "Rain"), rarities (the British hit single "And The Sun Will Shine") and co-called "classic tracks" ("Chico and the Man" as well as the perennial Christmas hit "Feliz Navidad"). Perhaps the biggest selling point of this collection to local fans is the inclusion of several tracks issued only as Australian singles. The story of this deeply talented musician, and the eventual wide market acceptance of his music (including TV soundtrack and acting gigs) is well told in the accompanying 12-page booklet. The track selection, while idiosyncratic to say the least, offers a good cross section of Feliciano's output during 1965-75, arguably the peak of his career. Feliciano was best served by arrangements that allowed space for his free-spirited vocal phrasing and acoustic guitar work. To the extent that either of these qualities was hemmed in by insensitive producers, the results suffer and veer toward the ordinary.