Lay This Burden Down ~ The Very Best Of Mary Love

Just wanted to let you know that I am enjoying it

Born Mary Ann Varney (or, as some sources claim, Mary Ann Allen - take your pick) in Sacramento, California on June 27, 1942, as Soul singer Mary Love, and following her “discovery” by J.W. Alexander (who once managed Soul legend Sam Cooke), she had 9 singles released in the U.S. from 1965 to 1971, 6 for Modern Records, 2 for Josie and 1 for Elco. Two of her singles made it into the mid-regions of the R&B charts. She never experienced a Billboard Pop cross-over.The first of her 2 hits was the Aug-Sept 1966 # 48 Move A Littler Closer which emerged as Modern 1020 b/w Let Me Know, while the second came in Nov-Dec 1968 when The Hurt Is Just Beginning finished at # 46 as Josie 999 b/w If You Change Your Mind.To the delight of completist hits collectors, this great 25-track volume from the Ace of London associate Kent Records provides all 4 sides with excellent sound reproduction and interesting liner notes by CD compiler Ady Croasdell - something we’ve come to expect from the U.K. outlets. But this will also appeal to more than just completists, as Mary is one among many Soul artists from that era who deserved so much more commercial success than came her way, as you will hear for yourself in this perfect album. Connection with a larger label would almost certainly have brought more hits her way.And for those who remember her more following her marriage to preacher Brad Comer and her change of direction to Gospel-tinged Soul delivering a Christian message in the 1980s as Mary Love-Comer, Kent also gives you a hint of that stage of her career. The reverse of the jewel case provides full label details for each selection. Her marriage to Comer ended in the early 2000s and on June 21, 2013 she passed away at age 69. Thanks to Ace-Kent we have this volume honoring her contributions to American Soul.One correction you might wish to take note of - the above track listing is completely out of whack. First of all, this has 25 sides, not 24, and they appear as follows: 1. You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet; 2. I'm In Your Hands; 3. Hey, Stoney Face; 4. I've Gotta Get You Back; 5. Let Me Know; 6. Move A Little Closer; 7. Think It Over Baby; 8. Lay This Burden Down; 9. Satisfied Feeling; 10. Baby, I'll Come; 11. Talkin' About My Man; 12. Dance, Children, Dance; 13. Is That You (Arthur & Mary); 14. The Hurt Is Just Beginning; 15. If You Change Your Mind; 16. Born To Live With Heartache; 17. There's Someone For Me; 18. When We Start Making Love; 19. Power Of Your Love; 20. Joy; 21. Loving You; 22. I Can't Wait; 23. Because Of You; 24. Come Out Of The Sandbox; 25. The Price.Something else worth noting is that the side Is That You? was apparently intended to pair Arthur Adams with Mary, but he firmly contends that the “Mary” is actually Modern session vocalist Edna Wright. Kent apparently thinks differently. All sides are stereo except tracks 1 to 3, 6, 16 and 17.

Great album of Mary Loves. The packaging is well put together as always with Kent releases and the sound quality is superb. Buy this if you like soul .

great

Great album.