The short story here is that former rare grooves DJ Oliver Wang runs a good soul/hip-hop Web site, SoulSides.com, and he has compiled two discs of semi-obscure R&B, this one focusing on interesting covers. It’s generally fun, and Spanky Wilson’s sassy vocal on the Meters’ “Kissing My Love” is a thing of beauty. It has a bit more of a world beat vibe than you might expect from a rare grooves set, with reggae takes of “Be Thankful for What You Got” and “Express Yourself” and a version of Al Green’s “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” by Marcia Griffiths that has a reggae bass under the soul arrangement. The album has a bit of a so-what element—here’s another crate digger sharing what he found with no obvious purpose beyond collecting some cool tracks. Maybe that’s enough, though. The album is a good time, and Laura Lee’s “What a Man” delivers the simple pleasure of a big, sexy soul vocal.