Resume: The Best of Richie Havens

Richie Havens in his prime possessed an uncanny knack for inhabiting familiar songs as if they were his hometown. He practically hijacked "Here Comes the Sun" out from under George Harrison, turning his 1971 version of the Abby Road tune into a rhythmic statement all his own and, in the process, charting for the one and only time in his career. That's true to a lesser degree with Lennon-McCartney's "Rocky Raccoon," Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman," and Fred Neil's "Dolphins," all of which are found on this 17-track anthology culled from the New York City singer-guitarist's late 1960s and early 1970s records. Havens penned a few songs of his own, notably the antiwar song "Handsome Johnny" (cowritten with actor Lou Gossett), and adapted others in his own inimitable style ("Run Shaker Life," "Freedom," his Woodstock-inspired variation on "Motherless Child"). But he made his mark as an interpreter--one whose work holds up admirably, judging by this focused retrospective. --Steven Stolder