TURN-ONS AND TURN-OFFS IN CURRENT HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES : Excellent Good Fair Poor : COMPACT DISCS

“The Jackie Wilson Story.” Epic. In his heyday--the late ‘50s and early ‘60s--soul crooner Jackie Wilson was the best pure singer in pop music, with an operatic range and a flair for dramatic ballads. This package serves as a fair introduction to Wilson (who died two years ago), including most of his hits as well as some obscure B sides and album cuts. However, the superior CD sound quality is a detriment in this case, illuminating negatives--schmaltzy vocal accompaniment and overwrought orchestral arrangements--that never seemed quite as annoying on vinyl. 1/2