With so much attention paid to
Jimmy's seminal Vee-Jay sides, it's hard to realize that he had a recording career that extended past the label's demise in the mid-'60s. But with manager
Al Smith producing,
Reed turned out a bushelbacket of albums for the ABC-BluesWay and Exodus labels, the best of which are collected here. These 21 tracks -- recorded between 1966 and 1971 -- vary quite a bit from the original vinyl issues, which were edited and sometimes retitled for release. Not Reed at his best, but for a complete picture of the man and his music, you'll definitely want to add this one to the pile.