Track listing
- 1 In the Midnight Hour 2:35
- 2 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.) 3:00
- 3 Land of 1000 Dances 2:28
- 4 Mustang Sally 3:08
- 5 Funky Broadway 2:39
- 6 I'm in Love 2:33
- 7 She's Lookin' Good 2:29
- 8 Hey Jude 4:08
- 9 Sugar Sugar 2:59
- 10 Engine Number 9 6:28
- 11 Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You 3:06
- 12 Don't Knock My Love, Part 1 2:19
- 13 Fire and Water 3:19
- 14 I'm a Midnight Mover 2:27
- 15 I Found Love, Part 1 2:59
- 16 Everybody Needs Somebody to Love 2:18
- Total length: 48:55
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Review
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2 Issues
4 Reviews
Wilson Pickett’s reputation preceeds him. Along with James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye, he’s one of an elite group of male soul vocalists that even the most cloth-eared rock fan can name (and I include myself in that generalisation). His body of work is a thing of wonder and his best work has been compiled time and time again.
Thing is, there’s something that prevents me from ever holding Pickett in as high regard as I do say Solomon Burke, or Sam & Dave. It’s one song. It’s not his fault (I blame The Commitments personally), but every weekend, in sticky floored venues where the alcohol is either over-priced, yellow and fizzy or fluorescent and sickly, bouncers lumber, knuckle-dragging hard-of-thinking types try to chat up empty-headed barely-clothed types, thousands upon thousands of truly awful bands attempt to play “Mustang Sally” and do so very badly indeed. It’s not as if I frequent such dives, I maybe only get dragged somewhere like that every two or three years, but every time it’s the same, a once great song massacred in the name of four or five ladrock -wannabes trying to be soulful and credible.
As a result I always associate the work of Pickett as something which saddens the heart and shrivels the soul. I know this is unfair though. Pickett’s version of “Mustang Sally” is definitive and one of the great soul songs of all time, but it has been so inelegantly covered so many times that I simply cannot stand to hear the song, even when it’s as brilliant as Pickett’s version. Yes, Pickett had a whole career outside of that one song, but my enjoyment of his work has been tainted for me.
Maybe one day I will be able to put all those horrific experiences in those horrific bars out of my mind, but for now those horrors are too fresh in the memory and therefore I will continue to struggle to give Pickett the respect he deserves until those memories have faded from my tortured mind.
Thing is, there’s something that prevents me from ever holding Pickett in as high regard as I do say Solomon Burke, or Sam & Dave. It’s one song. It’s not his fault (I blame The Commitments personally), but every weekend, in sticky floored venues where the alcohol is either over-priced, yellow and fizzy or fluorescent and sickly, bouncers lumber, knuckle-dragging hard-of-thinking types try to chat up empty-headed barely-clothed types, thousands upon thousands of truly awful bands attempt to play “Mustang Sally” and do so very badly indeed. It’s not as if I frequent such dives, I maybe only get dragged somewhere like that every two or three years, but every time it’s the same, a once great song massacred in the name of four or five ladrock -wannabes trying to be soulful and credible.
As a result I always associate the work of Pickett as something which saddens the heart and shrivels the soul. I know this is unfair though. Pickett’s version of “Mustang Sally” is definitive and one of the great soul songs of all time, but it has been so inelegantly covered so many times that I simply cannot stand to hear the song, even when it’s as brilliant as Pickett’s version. Yes, Pickett had a whole career outside of that one song, but my enjoyment of his work has been tainted for me.
Maybe one day I will be able to put all those horrific experiences in those horrific bars out of my mind, but for now those horrors are too fresh in the memory and therefore I will continue to struggle to give Pickett the respect he deserves until those memories have faded from my tortured mind.
Published
8122-71212-2 CD (2005)
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1 In the Midnight Hour
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2 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)
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3 Land of 1000 Dances
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4 Mustang Sally
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5 Funky Broadway
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6 I'm in Love
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7 She's Lookin' Good
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8 Hey Jude
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9 Sugar Sugar
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10
Engine Number 9
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11 Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You
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12 Don't Knock My Love, Part 1
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13 Fire and Water
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14 I'm a Midnight Mover
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15 I Found Love, Part 1
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16 Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
Published
Too brief, that's the only problem. Too short on his classic 60s stuff especially, while including a couple of less essential tracks. Real good starting point, but you'll immediately want more. Better to opt for a more complete set right away like the 2CD The Definitive Wilson Pickett, especially since there's no big difference in price.
Published
What a voice - everybody should have a bit of Wilson in their life. The man got rhythm and soul in his little finger than most modern "R'n'B" stars have got in their whole body.
Published
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