Stax artists inject soul into The Beatles.
Stax Does The Beatles – Stax Records/Craft Recordings CR01029 stereo vinyl ****:
(Featuring: Otis Redding; David Porter; Steve Cropper; Reggie Milner; Carla Thomas; Isaac Hayes; Booker T & The M.G.’s; The Bar-Kays)
When the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, it had a seismic cultural effect. Beatlemania swept across the U.S. Of course the group was inspired by Elvis Presley who also broke through on television. The difference was that many other musicians (jazz, classical and soul) recognized the impact on popular music and commercial appeal. Wilson Pickett’s electrifying version of “Hey Jude” (recorded at Muscle Shoals) featuring Duane Allman on guitar set a high bar. Movie soundtracks, television shows, popular singers and accomplished jazz players began to cover these songs. As a band, The Beatles were together for 9 or 10 years, but their legacy remains intact.
Craft Recordings has released a vinyl tribute album, Stax Does The Beatles. Recorded between 1966-1971, the album features the best of Stax royalty. Side A opens with the incomparable Otis Redding’s gospel-infused cover of “Day Tripper”. He brings soulful intensity on this straight-ahead burner. In a more complicated arrangement, David Porter delivers a soul revival vibe to “Help!”. There are horns, strings and infectious background vocals. Veteran stalwart Steve Cropper brings a slow-burning intensity and r & b feel to “With A Little Help From My Friends” in a standout instrumental performance. It is similar to the version by Joe Cocker with call and response, blistering guitar notation and those Memphis horns. Reggie Milner reinvents “And I Love Her’ as a medium groove translation with punctuated vocals that include falsetto. The Queen Of Memphis Soul (Carla Thomas)) transforms the melancholic “Yesterday” into a gritty blues statement with deeply emotional singing. A tinkling piano offers some counterpoint accompaniment.
Isaac Hayes kicks off Side B with a classic, extended soul rhapsody on “Something”. There is a multi-faceted instrumental introduction with grandiosity and interesting shading. Hayes’ deep baritone reverberates, Violins and woodwinds build to symphonic flourishes and jazzy elocution. His exchanges with the backup singers and tonal-stretching in the final relentless coda are compelling. The final two instrumental tracks are standouts. There is a brilliant hook-driven fury on “Eleanor Rigby” by Booker T & The M.G.’s. The soaring guitar accents and organ create a muscular framework to this delicate melody. The Bar-Kays provide a more faithful spirited rendition of “Hey Jude” with the vaunted one-line repeat ending.
Stax Does The Beatles is an accessible, creative album that effectively intermingles soul and pop.
Highly recommended!
—Robbie Gerson
TrackList:
Side A:
Day Tripper;
Help!;
With A Little Help From My Friends;
And I Love Her;
Yesterday
Side B:
Something;
Eleanor Rigby;
Hey Jude
From Craft Recordings, an innovative look at music of the Beatles from Stax Records, 1960s. Music Review by Robbie Gerson.
