Time is on My Side

Like this cd very much

There are actually two Irma Thomas CDs entitled "Time Is On My Side." I wrote a review about a 24-track 1996 CD on the Kent label with pink/white/black striping on the cover. My 5-star rating referred to that collection.However, there is another, 23-track collection from 1992 on the EMI label, titled "Time Is On My Side: Best Of Irma Thomas Volume 1". It has a red cover very similar to the 1996 Razor and Tie "Sweet Soul Queen" collection. (Same picture, reversed.) It has a different (if overlapping) song selection from either of the other two collections. It contains three very hard-to-find tracks, "Maybe," "Think Again," and "Live Again." This collection has notes by Dawn Eden, and excellent annotations with recording sessions and release dates.For a while, Amazon was displaying the wrong cover art for the EMI collection entitled "Time is On My Side....volume 1." As a result, it is not clear to me whether the various used copies of the CD are actually the Kent or EMI collections. They are probably usually the EMI, but it can't hurt to check with the seller.Here's the track lineup:1 Girl Needs Boy2 It's Too Soon To Know3 Gone4 It's Raining5 Two Winters Long6 Ruler Of My Heart7 While The City Sleeps8 Wish Someone Would Care9 Breakaway10 Time Is On My Side11 Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand12 I Want A True, True Love13 Think Again14 Long After Tonight15 Times Have Changed16 He's My Guy17 Maybe18 I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry19 Hurt's All Gone, The20 Live Again21 Some Things You Never Get Used To22 It's Starting To Get To Me Now23 Take A LookUpdate: I just bought this CD. It's excellent. I still recommend the Kent CD as the best overall introduction to Irma, but collectors will be interested in this CD as well: It consists entirely of 1992 remixes by Ron Furmanek and Kevin Reeves. I am usually ideologically opposed to such maneuvers, but they did a good, tasteful job. (Ron Furmanek is among the few engineers who can remix 1960's material without it losing its magic.) Many of the original stereo mixes of this material had the band entirely in the right channel, Irma center, and occasional guitar solos and backing vocals in the left channel. These 1992 mixes redistribute the band into a balanced stereo image, and for the most part the results are an improvement. (Some of these remixes appear on the 1996 Kent CD as well.)For comparison, the original mixes of many of these tracks can be found on the Razor And Tie collection "Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans," well mastered by Steve Hoffman.Further update: At some point I noticed that the version of "I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry" featured here is an alternate vocal performance. I guess I figured that out after I wrote this review. Also, I am not entirely sure that the Minit material here (tracks 1-7) is remixed.

I kept hearing one song on TV and was hooked..took a while to find it but when I did I ordered it through Amazon..fast delivery

"Time Is On My Side" is a great collection of the early work of Irma Thomas. "It's Raining" is one of my favorite melodies. It jumped out at me on Lou Ann Barton's breakout album  Old Enough . Irma's version milks the loneliness of a girl missing her guy, "It's raining so hard, it brings back memories, of when you were here with me." Thomas' take on Jackie DeShannon's "Break-a-way" bounces out of the speakers with force on that bubbly chorus. The track zoomed to #2 in my personal top ten several years ago when it first came to my attention on Break-A-Way: The Songs Of Jackie Deshannon 1961-1967 . Irma's voice amazes with its range and intensity such as on the pop nugget "Some Things You Never Get Used To." "Ruler Of My Heart" is such a stunning melody that Irma nails, "When you're gone, the going gets rough; Come back, come back, I've had enough." Irma's self-penned "Wish Someone Would Care" is an emotional storm that Thomas nails. "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" stuns with a slow methodical beat and the staccato background vocals on "anyone." Great stuff! "Two Winters Long" with its pop-rock-tango beat charms me, "Blew away the memories of you. Since you left, I got me somebody else." "Time Is On My Side" takes us into the gold standard of powerful R&B from the exquisite musical voice of Irma Thomas. Enjoy!

Irma Thomas recorded 'Time is on My Side' before the Rolling Stones.

Easy listening rock. Very typical of New Orleans music scene. Makes u want to get up and move.

I am from New Orleans, so Irma is like a household name to us. I sang along to her music as a teenager, have heard her perform, and even seen her in the grocery store. She's one of our local treasures, and a wonderful lady.If you never heard her sing, you are in for a treat. This cd is not the best quality, but is a good example of her early years in the business. She's in her 60's now, and still going strong. She's always been a favorite of mine. Buy this, and treat yourelf to a dose of "The Soul Queen of New Orleans"

MOST OF THE SONGS ARE OLD QUALITY SOUND. ALMOST SCRATCHY. NICE SELECTION OF SONGS

This is a first rate compilation. The sound quality is excellent, remastered beautifully- just as you would expect from KENT/ACE records. 24 great tracks that feature the superb vocals of Irma Thomas. The stand out tracks are of course Time Is On My Side which blows the Rolling Stones insipid cover out of the water. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is is the other high point. These 2 tracks alone are worth the price of this compilation. The musical arrangements sit slap bang at the crossroads between country & southern soul. Great collection

Irma Thomas is the most underrated soul singer ever. Her voice and musical expression are unequalled. What a treasure. Loved her since my mod days, l am now 74.

Brilliant music and a stunning voice what an unexpected find. My daughter loved it too. Think 60’s iconic female singers rolled into one.

A fabulous record a great singer and quality songs so many people sang these songs but the original by Irma Thomas are the best.

You can find nice songs & a nice performance by the lady.