0 Various Artists - "Shakin' Fit!" (CD, Candy Records - 1992)

Well, when was the last time this space honored the last word of its name?
Quite long back right? I was checking up to see what to offer and I discovered that somehow "Shakin' Fit!" slipped my attention. OK, three years back I had through these pages the first (vinyl and with less tracks) incarnation ("Whip It On'Em"), but here's the 'full' version, the one most people knows. Actually this CD gathers the first two vinyl volumes of the three these series had but I can't remember their names right now and Crypt's website doesn't have them now listed to make everyone's life easier. This is probably my fave of all these millions official/semi-official and bootleg comps about Rhythm & Soul. Great sound, great packaging and great song selection! And you know, some of these gems have been introduced to the younger generations by the Detroit Cobras' movement for the salvation of Black America's VERY IMPORTANT rhythm tradition! It's not the 'rare' factor that makes this CD such a COOL accumulation, but the SWEAT! You can actually smell a thousand people's body fluids (or more!) dancing to the sounds of Mickey Lee Lane's "Hey Sa-Lo-Ney", Don & Dewey's frenetic "Heartattack", Don Gardner's twangy ass-shaker "My Baby Likes to Boogaloo" or David Jones "Boss with the Hot Sauce" (you can do no wrong with a song having a title like this!). The Nuggets equivalent for 60s Rhythm & Soul!

Detail: Various Artists - "Shakin' Fit!" (CD, Candy Records - 1992)

0 The Mar-Keys/Booker T. & The MG's - "Back To Back" (Atlantic/Stax, 1967)

Hi there! I had an argument (all my life seems to be an argument but i really like it, haha!) the other day 'bout some same old stupid debate, on who's the best guitarist ever walked this earth, blah blah, blah. OK, i have a tremendous respect for Jimi but he was a bit too show-off for me. You know, my negative/reactional nature drove me all these years to go find some 'replacements' as answers to the 'public's opinion' on many things considered as 'classics' or 'untouchables'. So you can't hold all these Eric Claptons, Jeff Becks, Richie Blackmores, Stevie Ray Vaughans and let me preach in the names of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Link Wray and Steve Cropper!
And all this weekend was an enormous trip to what great Steve Cropper did. From Booker T & the MGs to Mar-Keys, and from Blues Brothers to every single southern soul star was choiced to back up as the master six stringer of the Stax/Volt factory. For some strange reason this record wasn't heard more than two times since the day bought it. For some strange reason i listened to it back to back, four times in a row. A live at Paris back in 1967 recording, when the Stax/Volt Revue, was setting up Europe's stages on fire. Really now, this is as hot as it gets, and for sure one of the best and most underestimated live documents ever! The two legendary Memphis outfits, with Steve Cropper of course doing his thing, delivering the most solid groove ever waxed! This is substantially what should be called 'party music'!

Detail: The Mar-Keys/Booker T. & The MG's - "Back To Back" (Atlantic/Stax, 1967)

0 Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band - "Shake a Tail Feather Baby!" (Piccadilly, 1967)

Not to be confused with the Detroit igneous shouter Gino Washington, this Geno was not bad at all - even though my personal fave of the two, is the one with an "i" on his name. Geno Washington was an American Air Force GI, stationed in England during the period of the big R&B Boom! Clever enough to understood this, got involved with the growing day by day culture of the Mods and became the frontman of a well oiled machine under the name of the Ram Jam Band. His musical background had a healthy dose of Little Richard, Wilson Pickett and Don Covay and even though his voice was not something special to be remembered of, his energy and especially on stage, made him win with his own sword a secure place among this period's pantheon.
Geno with the Ram Jam early on scored a hit on Piccadilly in 1966 with the "Water" and even though never entered the highest positions of the charts, made some more appearances in there through the years that followed. Arguably their best were at concerts cause they had the skills to easily pack a place and make the sharp dressed crowd to sweat their suits. Of the last clause's truth -  people today usually stands (when it comes for recorded material) on their first two live records (" Hand Clappin' Foot Stompin' Funky-Butt...Live!" & "Hipsters, Flipsters, Finger-Poppin' Daddies!") but... the heretic lunatic of this space prefers their only (?) studio recorded long play, for a presentation. "Shake A Tail Feather Baby!" had it all! A great front sleeve and a good dose of Memphis Soul execution-ed in its RAWER and FUNKIER  instances! With Stax in mind ("Raise Your Hand," "Knock on Wood", "Who's Foolin' Who") or rock n' roll ("Bonie Moronie"), Geno and the Ram Jam delivered a classic of gritty vocals, wailin' saxes with pounding drums and phunky strings. The keywords on this, should be "Energy" and "Vitality". Perhaps, the best ever approach of the Stax sound, outside America.
320 Kbps

Phunky Butt!

Detail: Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band - "Shake a Tail Feather Baby!" (Piccadilly, 1967)