Bag Full Of Soul / Fantastic Feliciano

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A Bag Full of Soul captures Jose Feliciano in transitional mode, still feeling his way toward the uniquely Latino-influenced folk-jazz sensibilities on which his fame rests. While he remains a product of the Greenwich Village coffeehouse circuit, the material and arrangements here hint at mainstream pop leanings exemplified by a cover of the Beatles' Help!, an approach that points the way to his breakthrough rendition of the Doors' Light My Fire. But too much of the album plays it safe, settling for straightforward readings of familiar folkie fare like Bob Dylan's Masters of War and Oscar Brown, Jr.'s Work Song -- Feliciano's vocals are lovely and impassioned, but not quite strong enough to carry the day alone. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide