I Don't Want to Cry

Chuck Jackson's Wand debut is a significant cut above the typical filler-stuffed soul collections of the early '60s -- I Don't Want to Cry's hit title cut serves as a springboard to explore 11 other tear-stained tunes, forming a concept record detailing the many subtle gradations of melancholy and heartbreak. Pop classics like "Tears on My Pillow," "Lonely Teardrops," and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" are well matched to Jackson's deep, poignant vocals. Blunt emotional force was always his greatest strength, and rarely was he served by better material, most notably the early Burt Bacharach/Hal David collaboration "I Wake Up Crying." [I Don't Want to Cry was later reissued on CD via the British label Kent as part of a two-fer with its follow-up, Any Day Now.] ~ Jason Ankeny