NEW US SOUNDS INCLUDE
Soul (Joe Tex & Aretha), Cool (Andy Williams) Beat (Shangri-Las, Love) Jazz (Mose Allison)
ARETHA FRANKLIN Soul Sister — ‘Until You Were Gone’; ‘You Made Me Love You’; ‘Follow Your Heart’; ‘Ol’ Man River’; ‘Sweet Bitter Love’; ‘A Mother’s Love’; ‘Swanee’; ‘(No, No) I’m Losing You’; ‘Take A Look’; ‘Can’t You Just See Me’; ‘Cry Like A Baby’ (CBS BPG 62744).
CURRENT darling of the soul set. Miss Franklin has a beautifully controlled yet powerful voice which comes across well on this sophisticated LP which will appeal to more older fans as well as younger ones. Best tracks are ‘Until You Were Gone’ and ‘Cry Like A Baby’. Although Aretha isn’t terribly distinctive at the moment she could develop an individual style of her own.
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THE SHANGRI-LAS Golden Hits Of The Shangri-Las — ‘Leader Of The Pack’; ‘Past Present and Future’; ‘Train From Kansas City’; ‘Heaven Only Knows’; ‘Remember (Walking In The Sand)’; ‘Out In The Streets’; ‘I Can Never Go Home Anymore’; ‘Give Him A Great Big Kiss’; ‘Long Live Our Love’; ‘Give Us Your Blessings’; ‘Sophisticated Boom Boom’; ‘What Is Love’ (Mercury MCI. 20096).
THE MARVELLOUS Shangri-Las, provocative little things, manage to re-record their old hits for the Red Bird label for Mercury and they sound very similar indeed, in fact I couldn’t spot the differences on some of the tracks. And I relish trying to spot faults… Although the main claim of the girls is that they once used a motor-bike as a backing instrument, their voices are excellent and very coloured sounding, if that’s still a compliment Recommended. especially to imaginative rockers.
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MOSE ALLISON Wild Man On The Loose — ‘Wild Man On The Loose’; ‘No Trouble Llvin”; ‘Night Watch’; ‘What’s With You’; ‘Powerhouse’; ‘You Can Count On Me To Do My Part’; ‘Never More’; ‘That’s The Stuff You Gotta Watch’; ‘War Horse’ (Atlantic 587031).
THE STILL-HIP Mr. Allison and a collection of songs which don’t include ‘Parchman Farm’ and/or ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’. Really good piano work, jazz-blues tinged and vocals which you either take or leave. Ideal buyer (sorry Adrian) — a Georgie Fame fan.
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JOE TEX I’ve Got To Do A Little Bit Better — ‘Papa Was Too’; ‘What Me And My Baby Ain’t Got’; ‘A Woman Sees A Hard Time I When Her Man Is Gone’; ‘Watch The One (That Brings Bad News)’; ‘Taking Care Of A Woman (Is A Full Time Job)’; ‘Lying’s Just A Habit John’; ‘I’ve Got To Do A Little Bit Better’; ‘The Truest Woman In The World’; ‘I Believe I’m Gonna Make It’; ‘Got You On My Mind’; ‘Half A Mind’; ‘S.Y.S.L.J.I.M. (The Letter Song)’ (Atlantic 587053).
ONE OF THE best new R&B singers for some time, Joe Tex’s new LP is quite excellent. Ten of his own songs are on here, much-bracketed and Marje Proopsy, but they’re interesting, and his voice is good enough to carry almost anything along. A must for the soul crowd — genuine talent comes through on this.
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ANDY WILLIAMS In The Arms Of Love — ‘The Very Thought Of You’; ‘If I Love Again’; ‘Theme From The Sand Pebbles‘; ‘Remember’; ‘Here’s That Rainy Day’; ‘In The Arms Of Love’; ‘The Face I Love’; ‘Sand And Sea; ‘So Nice’; ‘Pretty Butterfly’; ‘A Man And A Woman’; ‘All Through The Night’ (CBS BPG 62802).
A VERY GENTLE album from Andy — a very good album too. But then he never seems to make bad LP’s. Perhaps this one is slightly unspectacular in the choice of material but the singing is still great. Try ‘And We Were Lovers”‘ or ‘So Nice’.
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LOVE Da Capo — ‘Stephanie Know Who’; ‘Que Vida’; ‘Seven And Seven Is’; ‘The Castle’; ‘She Comes In Colours’; ‘Revelation’ (Elektra EKL 4005).
THIS HIGHLY-rated (someone sent us a letter about them once) seven-strong American group Love and their second LP which contains a whole side given over to one track (didn’t someone do that before?). For a group with such corny lyrics they come over as an extraordinarily strange team — “Da Capo” indeed. Best track is ‘Que Vida’ and bits of ‘Revelation’. Perhaps I should have listened to this under LSD to have fully appreciated it.
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© Peter Jones, Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, 25 February 1967