It's Harder Now

A Man and a Half: The Best of Wilson Pickett	Skin Deep It’s erroneous to characterize this 2008 Buddy Guy release, his first in three years, as a comeback, since he’s never been gone. But between a spotlight stealing performance in Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones concert flick Shine a Light in the same year an...	The Sound Of Wilson Pickett Remastered reissue of his 1967 'critically acclaimed' soul classic. Includes his hit version of 'Funky Broadway'.	Live from Nowhere in Particular Two CD set. Live from Nowhere in Particular is the 2008 album from Joe Bonamassa, an US blues guitarist/singer. Guitar One Magazine has stated that 'he just might be the best guitarist of his generation.' His blues-rock style is similar to that of Stevie Ray Vaughan's. In an in...	Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story The rise and fall of Memphis-based Stax Records remains one of the more compelling sagas in American popular music history. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, renamed in 1961 by blending the surnames of brother-sister co-founders Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, Stax was Motown'...
Lay It Down Few performers have ever been so inimitable as the Reverend Al Green, so it's no surprise that the starry young collaborators who join him on the superb Lay It Down simply let the man sing in the way he knows best, and make their own contributions fit around his. Despite the pres...	The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James Other post-WWII Chicago bluesmen are better known, but the work of Elmore James holds up as well as any of theirs. If he never had the technical accomplishment of, say, Earl Hooker, he did have as much depth of emotional expression as Muddy Waters; just listen to the sweetness of...	The Ultimate Collection	All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul This comprehensive guide is a must-have for the legions of fans of the perennially popular music known as rhythm and blues. The latest in the definitive All Music Guide series, All Music Guide to Soul offers entertaining and informative reviews that lead readers to the best recor...	100 Days, 100 Nights In the new millennium, soul has become big business again. But despite succulent re-issues from labels like Astralwerks and Light in the Attic, the resurgence of seasoned soul sisters like Bettye LaVette, and the volcanic popularity of new-soul crooners like Amy Winehouse, the ch...

Classic Artist meets Great Producer
In true, raw Soul, you can go "home again" - if the singer keeps to his roots, has good lyrics, a good studio, a good mix, real musicians playing real instruments in real time. Mr. John Tiven even provides guitar and organ (and wrote some here too). Also on the scene to help make it work are historic names like Don Covay and Dan Penn. The title song sounds every bit as fresh as any *released* material from the '60s or '70s from WP; "Soul Survivor" is another cut that could have made-the-cut on any of the early albums. Pickett himself is co-composer on *five* tracks, and there are no tentative fillers, either. Some songs imply that the star is willing to offer painful, confessional reflections, no holds barred - he admits to playing rough with players willing to play dirty. OLdies But Goodies are great - witness Wilson in "Blues Brothers 2000" - but what a gift this is to record collectors - and any other fans of gritty, corporeal Soul.

RIP 1941-2006
Wilson Pickett was in top voice for this 1999 project. Of course, the perfect blend of songwriting and production of the mid-60's is a never-to-be recreated reality, for -anyone-, but of all the greats from that time, WP is the one who kept 100% of his tone and power, (the material and production is acceptable, don't get me wrong). The "He could sing the phone book..." line,usually applied to Sinatra and other jazzy vocalists, makes the most sense to me when applied to Pickett; it's all about the force, passion, and raw TONE that no one ever forgets. After Wilson, most singers simply don't sound commited.*********RIP: ...... Johnny Taylor .... Curtis Mayfield .... James Carr ...... Rufus Thomas ....... Ernie K-Doe ....... Luther Van Dross ..... Little Milton ...... Ray Charles .....Tyrone Davis .... Lou Rawls .... Wilson Pickett.....it's been a bad 21st century for soul.**********

The Wicked Pickett returns with a great R&B CD.
After more than a decade, Wilson Pickett is back. Wilson's voice is just as strong and gruff as it always has been. The songs are not of the caliber of Pickett's hits at Atlantic in the 60's but this CD is a lot of fun. The production is a little more raw and Pickett is more blues on this outing. They don't call Pickett Wicked for nothing and several of the songs are sexual in nature ("Making Love on the Outskirts of Town", "What's under that Dress?", or "All About Sex"). You get the idea. Anyway we're glad that Wicked Wilson Pickett is back and hopefully this will not be a one time thing.

It's Not Harder for WP
Wilson Pickett has lost nothing since he "found a love" with the Falcons! His new tracks have the intensity and tight arrangements that made his a soul superstar in the '60's. This man still has it and he doesn't spare it in this CD. Well worth getting - I only wish it had been longer.

Wicked Good Stuff
The first time I heard this cd was in between sets at a blues-jazz club on the house sound system. I noticed that it caught the attention of many, and in a town (Albany, NY) where most don't feel compelled to dance unless intoxicated, I was struck by how many were just spontaneously bumping and grinding to the catchy songs. Oh, this is some funky soul and despite his drugs and weapons escapades of the past two decades Wilson's voice is intact and demands your attention. Great mixing by the legendary Eddie Kramer puts this cd into the 5 star category.