Etta James – at Last (Chess Records 75, Acoustic Sounds)

Etta James's debut album, originally released in 1961 on the Chess subsidiary Argo Records. The album's title-track and "All I Could Do Was Cry" (co-written by future Motown founder Berry Gordy) both went to No. 2 on the R&B charts.

When Etta James stepped to the mic in 1960 to record her debut for Chess Records, the world didn't just get an album — it got a cultural landmark. At Last! was a velvet-wrapped knockout punch that still sends chills down spines six decades later.

This was the record that turned Etta from a teenage R&B firebrand into a full-fledged legend. Backed by lush orchestration and dripping with raw emotion, she could make heartbreak sound like poetry and longing feel like a victory lap. Chess Records knew they had something special, and they delivered an LP that blended blues grit, jazz sophistication, and pop elegance in a way nobody had done before.

Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from the original Chess tapes, he's unlocked the depth, the lush, breathing magic in James' performance. Pressed at Quality Record Pressings, this is perfection under the needle — flat, silent, heavy 180-gram vinyl. 

Features

• Etta James — At Last! (Stereo)
• Chess Records 75 Series from Chess Records and Acoustic Sounds!
• Landmark album and shimmering vocals blending soul, jazz, blues and gospel
• Timeless tracks "At Last," and "Something's Got A Hold on Me"
• All-analog mastering by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab
• 180-gram vinyl pressed at Quality Record Pressings