AMG Review of Let's Cut It: The Very Best of Elmore James

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Let's Cut It: The Very Best of Elmore James rounds up 18 tracks from his Modern, Flair and Meteor recordings. These are generally considered to be some James' greatest recordings, and there's no denying that there are incendiary performances throughout the record that more than prove James' legendary status is deserved. A few alternate takes are thrown in that are more noteworthy for collectors than general listeners. Then again, fans who only want one disc of Elmore will be best served by Rhino's The Sky is Crying, which selects highlights from all of his many labels. This, in turn, is for fans who want to dig a little deeper than that set, since this contains the best of one of his best periods.