Along with George Jackson, Dan Penn is one of the most prolific and acclaimed Southern rhythm-and-blues songwriters of the last five decades. This CD features 24 of Penn’s solo compositions and collaborations with other tunesmiths. The roster of artists preforming these songs is quite diverse—from Tommy Roe to Albert King, from Brenda Lee to Irma Thomas. While there are several well-known songs here—”Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” and “The Dark End of the Street” probably top that list—the versions contained here aren’t always the ones familiar to most listeners but are worthy runner-ups. Penn’s first splash in the music business occurred in 1960 when he penned “Is a Blue Bird Blue,” a Top 40 hit for Conway Twitty. The version here surprisingly is by Penn himself with the Fame rhythm section providing a tough, mid-’60s Muscle Shoals groove. Perhaps more typical of Penn’s developing style is found on the oft-recorded “You Left the Water Running.” The original, by otherwise-unknown Billy Young, is a worthy and soulful inclusion. Co-writer (along with Chips Moman) of perhaps the ultimate cheating song—”The Dark End of the Street”—the James Carr original is unsurpassable but the Roy Hamilton cover here can still send a chill down your spine. Naturally, Penn placed songs with several ’60s R&B headliners; therefore, included here is his work as interpreted by Ted Taylor, Laura Lee, Percy, James and Bobby Purify, as well as Esther Philips, among others. Hailing from North Alabama, not surprisingly, Penn also had a country side to him. That’s pretty obvious when you listen to Ronnie Milsap’s first hit, “I Hate You,” as well as “Tear Joint” from Ted Roddy and “What’s Wrong with Right” by the Hacienda Brothers—the album’s most recent track, dating from 2006.

Too many great songs here to mention them all but Percy Sledge’s “Rainbow Road” is a heart-stopper. A Road Leading Home is the perfect companion to Sweet Inspiration, an earlier Ace release that included Penn’s collaborations with Spooner Oldham, or the incomparable Fame four-CD box set. Superb packaging as always from Ace with great photos, informative notes and top-notch sound quality. Well worth putting on the radar if you dig the beat.