How cool is this album cover?

Stax was one of the truly great soul labels. I mean, come on: Booker T. and the M.G.’s were the house band, for crying out loud. Stax was home to Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, the Bar-Kays, Mavis Staples — come on!

By 1975 the label as we know it had been run into the ground, but this 1973 compilation album catches Stax at its funky best. There’s not a bad cut on this record. Check out Rufus Thomas’s “The Breakdown”:

And that’s just a taste. You’ll get two (two!) Isaac Hayes cuts, Johnnie Taylor’s “I Don’t Wanna Lose You,” and The Bar-Kays’ “Son of Shaft.” Sweet! You can pick up your own copy of Fillet of Soul for five bucks without too much trouble. Happy hunting.