Featuring "Stranger in My Own Home Town" by ELVIS PRESLEY
From his 1970 Album "Back In Memphis" on RCA Victor Records
"...Meet Me In Church..."
From his 1970 Album "Back In Memphis" on RCA Victor Records
"...Meet Me In Church..."
Despite there being about 3 or 4 clunkers on this CD compilation (in my not-so-humble opinion) - the others are all so damn good, I'm going to resist dropping that final star and keep it a full five. Why? Because this nimble-fingered US contributor (Reggie Young) deserves his hour in the sun and your dosh/attention. Some background first as to why I think this is a properly great Ace Records release (aren't they all you might say)...
In December 2018, Missouri's Reggie Young was a sprightly 82 and yet its odds on that you've never heard of the guy or his sweet guitar picking style and contributions. Or have you? Ace Records UK put out his first official solo album called (not surprisingly) "Forever Young" in May 2017 on Ace CDCHD 1500 (Barcode 029667079822) - a 7-Track CD album of Soul-Rock instrumentals in the vein of J.J. Cale meets Dan Penn meets George Benson - a combo many would gladly scorch their unmentionables to acquire. Actually, the album’s good rather than being great, but it still exudes class.
Anyway, in my review of that late beginning for Reggie Young, I listed a 20-song resume of his work - seriously famous tunes by people like Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield – all showcasing his knack of playing the right part at just the right time. And lo and behold, from that Hall of Fame potpourri of Soul, Rock and Beat (covering a six-decade career) - some of those name-checks have turned up here. Nice! Let's pick up that Fender and get to church people...
UK released 25 January 2019 - "Session Guitar Star" by REGGIE YOUNG [featuring Various Artists] on Ace Records CDCHD 1537 (Barcode 029667093323) is a CD compilation offering 24-Tracks from 1956 through to 2010 (79:55 minutes):
1. Slip, Slip, Slippin' In - EDDIE BOND and HIS STOMPERS
2. Carol - BILL BLACK'S COMBO
3. A Touch Of The Blues - BOBBY BLAND
4. Dream Baby - JERRY and REGGIE
5. I'm Movin' On - THE BOX TOPS
6. The Champion Pt. 1 - WILLIE MITCHELL
7. Meet Me in Church - SOLOMON BURKE
8. Chicken Crazy - JOE TEX
9. In The Pocket - KING CURTIS and THE KINGPINS (some copies simply credit The Kingpins)
10. More Love - JAMES CARR
11. Don't Forget About Me - DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
12. Stranger in My Own Home Town - ELIVIS PRESLEY
13. I Wanna Roo You - JACKIE De SHANNON
14. Drift Away - DOBIE GRAY
15. Rock 'N' Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life) - SONNY CURTIS
16. Victim of Life's Circumstances - DELBERT McCLINTON
17. Lover Please - BILLY SWAN
18. Morning Glory - JAMES and BOBBY PURIFY
19. Cocaine - J.J. CALE
20. I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink - MERLE HAGGARD
21. The Highwayman - THE HIGHWAYMEN [Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson]
22. Griselda - NATALIE MERCHANT
23. Whenever You Come Around - LITTLE MILTON
24. Where Do We Go from Here - WAYLON JENNINGS
From the 1956 pure Rockabilly of "Slip, Slip, Slippin' In" by Eddie Bond & His Stompers through to late soul from Little Milton's "Whenever You Come Around" (2002 on Malaco Records) - you're hit with class over and over again. Interesting Beat instrumentals turn up in the form of a Chuck Berry cover of "Carol" at the hands of Bill Black's Combo and Roy Orbison's "Dream Baby" by our hero and his mate Jerry 'Satch' Arnold trading as Jerry and Reggie (1964 on M.O. Records). Written by Curtis Ousley and Bobby Womack, King Curtis and The Kingpins give us a stunning Funky B-side in the shape of "In The Pocket" - the flip to "Ode To Billy Joe" in September 1967 on Atco 6516. This is the kind of head-jerking brass-punching guitar-groove that sends my saggy ass into raptures. Throw in James Carr and the gorgeous righteous Southern Soul of "More Love" and even James & Bobby Purify proving they still had a way with a tune in 1975's "Morning Glory" and Soul Music is never far from your ears.
Only when it gets to the truly cheesy rot that is "Rock 'n Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)" by Sonny Curtis (Track 15) and a weedy Delbert McClinton effort from 1975 alongside the vastly overrated "Highwayman" LP project with Nelson, Jennings and Cash - does the track run go off the boil. The Natalie Merchant contribution "Griselda" comes from her lesser-seen "Leave Your Sleep" 2010 CD on Nonesuch – a compilation that concentrates on children’s poetry (Reg coughs up a sweet solo). It all ends on a Waylon Jennings Country boogie from 1987 - "Where Do We Go From Here" – Reggie’s guitar (accompanied by Jim Horn's brass, Jim Horn of Rolling Stones fame) giving the bopper real bottom end. I’ll even forgive the overly hissy Solomon Burke song "Meet Me In Church" because what it lacks in fidelity – it tramples all-comers in sheer Soulfulness and feel.
Throw in great mastering from DUNCAN COWELL, a fabulous jam-packed 36-page booklet that out-details this detailed review (courtesy of BOB DUNHAM - includes loads of affectionate recollections from Reggie) and you're on a winner. The only Audio dull moment for me was the wimpy volume to the 1968 Stereo Box Tops cut of Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On" from their "No Stop" LP on Bell Records - for some reason it has no oomph at all. But any CD compilation that sports Dobie Gray's masterful take on Mentor Williams "Drift Away", J.J. Cale's "Cocaine", the King's yeah baby "Stranger In My Own Home Town" (Elvis getting funky) and Jackie DeShannon's lovely cover of Van Morrison's "I Wanna Roo You" gets my vote. And there's nearly 80 minutes of it too.
"...You know a melody can move me...and when I'm feeling blue...the guitar is coming through to sooth me..." – Dobie Gray sang on 1973's fantastic Soul-Rock single "Drift Away" - a tune Rodders would cover so well on his "Atlantic Crossing" album in 1975. Reggie Young is one of the reasons why we felt that way. Gimme the beat boys and free my soul indeed...
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