Soul

[MRS]

If there's already a thread I apologize. I'll c&p a few posts from the dark side to get her going.

Life would be empty w/o these:







. . .and to a hair of a lesser extent, this, even though I'm a massive Iceman fan:



The initial compilation features the essentials, dives into some of the later funk (just a touch late in the disc, see "We're a Winner"). The second nearly matches the glory, see "Little Brown Boy" and "I Need to Belong to Someone". The third was a delightful surprise (I've since bought up all the Kent twofer reissues), downright strange but indelible takes on "East of Java", "Just Before Sunrise", Curtis just tackling "Bring Me a Little Water, Sylvie" and an "All My Trials" which renders tears. Essential stuff.

[MRS]

I picked up these this past summer:





I intially thought both a touch watery, definitely expected more of the Ruffin but it's really clicked of late. "I Miss You (Part 1)" revolves around a truly strange chord progression in context and "Take Me Clear From Here" is sick. The second disc takes the cake.

Eddie's discs are great if only for the sake of more of his voice coming out of my speakers, again a bit hit n' miss it seems throughout. "This Used To Be The House Of Johnnie Mae" is classic, containing some occasionally hilarious lyrics I must've missed in earlier takes on the song. "Each Day I Cry Now" and "Any Day Now" kick ass as well. I'd take the Ruffin if forced.


Just received volume two of each in the post today:





I've only heard the former and holy glossy disco. Cornell Dupree and Jon Faddis (!) are involved in Van McCoy's ensembles, not sure how I'm going to digest all this. It's okay after one listen, the second disc featuring lost and found tracks from early in his solo career is pretty strong (Eddie's second disc is also comprised of like rarities). Getting ready to try out the Kendricks.

[MRS]

As far as more recent(ish) stuff, these are great:





The latter includes "Good Love" which is the truth, I keep a burn of this in my ride at all times (only other disc that stays in the glove compartment is Don Pullen's Breakthrough, thanks for the advice Dave).

[Gentle Giant]

I like soul hot and buttered.

[hornplayer]

MRS, if you've seen the movie Dream Girls, Eddie Murphy channeled David Ruffin in his role.......; one of the tragedies of my generation...

[Surfer]

[Gerardo A]

Pan Schau, while looking for your recommended "Live at Fillmore West", I saw another strong recommendation for this one, that I just got last night; it's second half is absolute gold (on my first listen). And King Curtis just burns in "Twistin' the Night Away".

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

One of the things that blows my mind on that Sam Cooke live album is the audience -- you naturally cringe a little when he invites the crowd to join him on "For Sentimental Reasons", but they're incredible, like a practiced church choir. Sam's voice is a little raspy on the date compared to his studio sessions -- sounds more like it's the end of a long tour rather than a cold -- but this album is essential!

[Pete C]

It ain't your father's Copa.

[Noj]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

One of the things that blows my mind on that Sam Cooke live album is the audience -- you naturally cringe a little when he invites the crowd to join him on "For Sentimental Reasons", but they're incredible, like a practiced church choir. Sam's voice is a little raspy on the date compared to his studio sessions -- sounds more like it's the end of a long tour rather than a cold -- but this album is essential!

That's like the Donny Hathaway Live album, the crowd participation is actually good.

[Chris D]

Originally Posted by Pete C

It ain't your father's Copa.

"Swing ya hankachiefs 'round"

[Noj]

[John L]

Heads up for classic soul lovers.

O.V. Wright's Backbeat recordings are one of the holy grails of soul music. Other than a very limited edition box set that was issued in Japan about 15 years ago, most of this music has never made it to CD. Only a couple greatest hits packages were releases.

Recently, another very limited edition complete O.V. Wright Japanese box set has been released. Be warned that it is expensive and already very hard to find. But you can still order it here for about $130.

[steve(thelil)]

I've been listening to Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry on Their Own"from the Back to Black CD repeatedly (and it plays in my head even when I'm not listening to it). This chick has CHOPS. She sings (she phrases as if she was rapping, sometimes but she is REALLY singing) a totally different melody over what I think is an arrangement of the Motown chestnut Ain't No Mountain High Enough. I invite anyone who assumes Amy's all hype to check this out.

I've heard her voice compared to Billie Holliday and Ronnie Spector, and I can hear elements of both. Tears Dry on Their Own reminds me of what Billie might have sounded like if she was around today and her music was informed by all the music that has happened since her heyday.

The Village Voice had a piece on Amy Winehouse a week or 2 ago in it's Annual Pazz and Jop Poll issue. The writer who interviewed her wrote that Amy generally seemed very distant and disconnected during the interview - but that she seemed happy and animated when the conversation turned to jazz.

In case anyone wonders why I posted this here, I think Amy's music is a reverent yet fresh updating of 60's soul music.

[jazzy mary]

Hmmm, she was dreadful on the grammys!

I was watching "Monterey Pop" this weekend--soul--Janis Joplin singing "Ball & Chain". It is unfreakin' unbelievable---breathtaking!

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by jazzy mary

Hmmm, she was dreadful on the grammys!

I was watching "Monterey Pop" this weekend--soul--Janis Joplin signing "Ball & Chain". It is unfreakin' unbelievable---breathtaking!

Mama Cass, mouthing: "Wowwwww!"

[Dr Dave]

As long as Bettye LaVette is still on the scene, Soul is alive and well!

[jazzy mary]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

Mama Cass, mouthing: "Wowwwww!"

Yeah! It was funny 'cause as I was watching it for the first time I was going "Wowww" and right then they showed Mama Cass doing that! I also love how they show her listening so intently & she puts her finger (w/ some big groovy looking ring on it) to her lip.

[Al in NYC]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

As long as Bettye LaVette is still on the scene, Soul is alive and well!

...or Solomon Burke. Saw him last night. Still spectacular - at 70 years old and 400 or so pounds.

Oh, and I LOVE those O.V. Wright records.

[Noj]

I REALLY want the OV Wright box, but it's really pricey and I'll likely not have the cash until after the very limited supply is sold out.

[rollhead]

[Chris D]

Originally Posted by rollhead

Really. That was the one soul singer at Monterey.

"This is the love crowd, right?"

[Root Doctor]

Originally Posted by Chris D

Really. That was the one soul singer at Monterey.

Damn straight.

[rollhead]

Monterey? That must have been where he sat on the dock of the bay.

[Gentle Giant]

What they now call "slow jams" we used to call "music to fuck by."



Love Won't Let Me Wait

[John L]

Originally Posted by Noj

I REALLY want the OV Wright box, but it's really pricey and I'll likely not have the cash until after the very limited supply is sold out.

That is what I said 15 years ago, and then regretted it. This time, I bit the bullet.

...or Solomon Burke. Saw him last night. Still spectacular - at 70 years old and 400 or so pounds.

Yes, Solomon Burke can still do it as good as it can be done.

[Surfer]

Originally Posted by rollhead

Monterey? That must have been where he sat on the dock of the bay.

I cant tell if you're joking or not, but it was actually the Berkeley Pier Otis wrote that song about.

[likewise]

Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" is indeed a fun song. Speaking of almost ridiculously retro but still fresh Brit soul in general, I'm currently stuck on 23-year-old Welsh blonde Duffy. The styling is obviously very Dusty Springfieldy, but the girl can sing, writes her own material too. Here's a few clips, in case someone's interested:

studio rehearsal w/ ex-Suede Bernard Butler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fawOrelje7k

first official single "Mercy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2orthS3TQ

which she nails live too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o04AAsPkn4

[John L]

Originally Posted by Surfer

I cant tell if you're joking or not, but it was actually the Berkeley Pier Otis wrote that song about.

Was it really the Berkeley pier? I assumed that it was across the bay in Fort Point or somewhere like that, where the tide really does "roll away."

I grew up in Berkeley in the 60s. They used to dump garbage in the bay, and the stench of the Berkeley pier could be hard to take. I can't believe what a good job they did in cleaning it up since that time, at least until that recent oil spill. Now I really could imagine writing a song like that on the pier.

[craigz]

Hey, John L,
Thanks for turning me on to O.V. Wright. That guy really wails.