It's fair to say that Loma Records was one of the most misunderstood records labels of its time. An R&B subsidiary of Warner Bros., Loma existed in a vacuum, fronted by a record company that was embracing the progressive trends in rock and pop with varying degrees of success. Add that to the fact that Warner really didn't quite know what to do in the R&B market, and it's a wonder the label lasted as long as it did (1964-1968). But the music was another story, and the 50 tracks collected on The Best of Loma Records: Rise and Fall of a 1960s Soul Label reveal that the records were made with an incredible degree of care and class. Although they were obviously attempting to ape the success of labels like Motown, Stax and others, the talent on these quality sides (
Ike & Tina Turner,
J.J. Jackson,
the Enchanters) and the producers (
Jerry Ragovoy,
Lenny Waronker) produced excellent and original results. Highly recommended for any fan of '60s soul, this is the real thing. ~ Matthew Greenwald