Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 10:01:01 EDT
Reply-To: Trvlr2001@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Carpenter <Trvlr2001@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Need Car CD Recommendations
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 7/4/2005 6:44:54 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
THX0001@AOL.COM writes:
A few weeks ago my ever curious son, Johnny Cash, Jr., approached me with a
question I did not want him to ever ask, "Did you know that your Bringing It
All Back Home album has a chunk missing from it?" It wasn't just my favorite
Dylan album, it was my MINT, played once, back-up copy of my favorite Dylan
album. With that, I finally realized that it was time to go over to the
Digital
Dark Side and so, I bought my first CD's, a great anthology of every
Stax/Volt
cut from 1959 to 1968. In order to listen to them, I've been copping my
Sweetheart's CD player whenever she's not merrily listening to Tom Jones
(all I can
figure is that they must spray testosterone on his CD's). Anyway, I want to
install a CD receiver in my van. Can anyone recommend a car CD player which
is cheap ($100 - $150), but durable, and does not look like it was spec'd
out
by the boys from West Coast Customs?
George
.
Well, I guess we learn more on this list than just about Vanagon's !!!
JC...
. The Complete Stax Volt Singles 1959-1968
by Diane Lowery
If all the music you ever had was destroyed in a fire, this 9 cd set could
singlehandedly lay down a foundation for a better life. Stax Records of
Memphis, Tennessee integrated the sounds of the South fusing country, gospel, and
blues into both familiar soul favorites that will never grow old, and
numerous "lost" classics rarely heard since their original release. This set
includes performers such as Otis Redding, _Rufus Thomas_
(http://www.there1.com/sounds/sistersgotaboy.ram) (sometimes with daughter Carla), Sam and Dave,
Johnnie Taylor, and Eddie Floyd as well as writers like Isaac Hayes-David Porter,
Chips Moman and Steve Cropper. Needless to say when remastered, with a 64 page
photo and story laden book and put into a durable box, this is one necessary
collection: raw, honest, and full of passion.
The early years feature Booker T. & The M.G.'s and the Markeys developing
hip shaking instrumentals and grooves. Their styles and flavor are exemplified
in such tunes as "Last Night" (Markeys) and "_Mo Onions_
(http://www.there1.com/sounds/moonions.ram) " (Booker T. & The M.G.'s). On later volumes of this
collection they evolve into strong and identifiable backing bands for the
likes of Otis Redding ("Try a Little Tenderness") and Sam and Dave ("Hold On
I'm Coming").
The tiny Stax studio, begun in an abandoned movie theater in the late
1950's, developed uncluttered brass arrangements, thumping swung rhythms, thick
organ licks and even incadescent girl group ballads such as Wendy Rene's
"_After Laughter (Comes Tears)_ (http://www.there1.com/sounds/afterlaughter.ram) "
. Countless imitations range from Atlantic Records contemporaries Aretha
Franklin and Wilson Pickett to the later stylings of Bob Dylan, The Eurythmics,
The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Peter Gabriel. The Stax sound was hot,
from-the-gut, in the groove soul which was not primped for public consumption. Stax
stood apart from the racial polemics of the South with an integrated house
band The M.G.'s (or Memphis Group) who cut killer instrumentals such as
"Bootleg," "Hip-Hug-Her," and "Green Onions" which provide an alternative soundtrack
to the cutesified Motown Sixties.
What is evident on all cd's is that the Stax team had a chemistry well
beyond the sum of its numerous talented parts witness Isaac Hayes and David Porter
writing music to the words by Mabel John on "Able Mable" and the Eddie
Floyd-Booker T. Jones penned riffs of "Big Bird". The latter shot of hard soul
told of the plane wreck which took the life of Stax legend Otis Redding with
squealing guitar licks.
The box set provides a wonderful perspective on how soul music changed at
Stax over ten years, from a chugging rhythm and blues based groove (Rufus
Thomas, "Walking The Dog") to a funkier rock beat (Bar-Kays, "Soulfinger"), yet
the music always maintained its gospel roots. One listen to the breathtaking
Hayes-Porter composition "I'll Gladly Take You Back", by the Charmels, with
the vocals hitting notes that weren't typical of soul music or Sam and Dave's
"I Thank You" for the economical soulful rhythm/lead guitar of Steve Cropper
to understand what a joy it is to have Stax of tracks.
Related Picks
* Aretha Franklin- Queen of Soul
Wilson Pickett- Greatest Hits
Brought down to Stax to record to pick up on the Otis Redding thing, then
scurried off to Muscle Shoals, with Jerry Wexler bring Memphis Horns in.
Pickett was a master of soul from the gut.
Isaac Hayes-- Shaft
Damn Right.
Isaac Hayes-- Hot Buttered Soul
Stax veteran Isaac Hayes busts his own move on classic tracks like
hyperbollicsyllabisesquidalimystic. Dig the groove make your move.
Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding
There is so much good Otis that there is no point in not owning it all. He
captured the dynamic of showmanship, the power of the church and the spirit of
the times. He's more alive on his records than most people that you meet
these days.
James Brown-- Star Time
This is funk. A must have for anyone trying to understand how music since
1955 is different than music before. The godfather of Soul who laid down a
sound which picked up from Stax and gave Stax a point of reference.
_James Brown-- Soul Pride The Instrumentals 1960-69_
(http://www.there1.com/jbrown.html)
Parliament-- Tear The Roof Off (1974-1980)
Funk and grooves from outer space, with occasional collect calls back to
Memphis.
_Sly and The Family Stone_ (http://www.there1.com/sly.html) -- Anthology
An excellent starting point on Sly Stone one of the greatest incorporators
of funk, soul, R&B and Rock. Sly applied the funk intensity of the Stax sound
to more elaborate arrangements.
Sam Cooke-- The Man and His Music
Cooke served as a role model in the transition from gospel to soul in the
early sixties, lessons which were not lost on Stax artists.
Bob Dylan-- Slow Train Coming
Gospel Bob with legendary Jerry Wexler producing.
Bob Dylan's Thirtieth Anniversary Concert
Dylan with Booker T. and Steve Cropper backing Neil Young, Roger McGuin and
others.
_The Jam_ (http://www.there1.com/mod.html) -- Dig The New Breed
Paul Weller mixing soul with hard edged British R&B culled from live shows
1977-82 featuring a high intensity cover of Eddie Floyd's Big Bird.
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