Poppachubby tells me he has things he wants to post, I'm saying "then you need to just jump in and do it son because KC is on fire baby and I can't be stopped!"
This is just a whole lot of fun and something of a tour de force for Booker T and the MG's as what really happens here is that Booker tackles The Beatles with all of Stax records at his command. Okay, I'm on board! Thanks Candy, I know that where you are now there is always a show with no sound checks and no microphones because you're standing in the middle of them baby.
"The influence of the Beatles is and has been pervasive, but in the latter half of the 1960s their music was everywhere, unavoidable even if one wanted to dodge it, and few wanted to do that anyway. Beatles songs were so well constructed, so full of brilliant melody lines and dynamic rhythms, and so adaptable that other artists constantly covered them, including the folks at Stax Records in Memphis, home of deep Southern soul. This 15-track set collects some of those Stax versions, and while nothing here really makes one forget the originals by the Beatles, it makes for a fun and at times revelatory listening experience. Among the highlights are a previously unreleased studio take of "Day Tripper" by the late, great Otis Redding, whose driving, drastic reconfiguration of the song turns it into a gritty, greasy soul sermon on the merits of love, a trick Isaac Hayes also pulls off with his epic, nearly 12-minute rendition of George Harrison's "Something." Also worth noting are Booker T. & the MG's pulsing instrumental version of "Lady Madonna" and the Bar-Kays' sweet, chiming, and nearly wordless take on "Hey Jude." It's all a lot of fun, and for those who doubt that the Beatles had soul, the proof that they did is here. Nobody made soul music better than the musicians at Stax Records, so they ought to know. Case closed." AMG
All right, He may be just a little under informed about the musicians at other labels in the R & B/Soul world but I appreciate the boy's enthusiasm.
Have Faith in You." Songs ranging from the sweet and vulnerable "I Want to Be Your Baby" to the remorseful "All I See Is You" and the pessimistic "Any Day Now" (a song co-written by Burt Bacharach) weren't singles, but it wasn't for a lack of heartfelt singing. Drawing on both Southern and Northern soul, Queen Alone is a pleasant reminder that they were equally attractive options.AMG
Poppachubby tells me he has things he wants to post, I'm saying "then you need to just jump in and do it son because KC is on fire baby and I can't be stopped!"
At nine discs and 244 tracks, The Complete Stax-Volt Singles: 1959-1968 is far too exhaustive for casual fans, but that's not who the set is designed for -- it's made for the collector. Featuring every A-side the label released during those nine years, as well as several B-sides, the set is a definitive portrait of gritty, deep Southern soul. Many of the genre's major names -- Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the MG's, William Bell, Rufus Thomas, the Bar-Kays, Albert King -- plus many terrific one-shot wonders are showcased in terrific sound and augmented with an in-depth booklet. For any serious soul or rock collector, it's an essential set, since Stax-Volt was not only a musically revolutionary label, its roster was deep with talent, which means much of the music on this collection is first-rate. But if you only want the hits, you'll be better off with a smaller collection, since too much of this set will sound too similar, and sorting through the nine discs will be a monumental task if you only want to hear Otis, Rufus, Carla, and Sam & Dave. - by Stephen Thomas Erlewhine
