Wednesday, August 18, 2010

32. Booker T. & the M.G.'s - Green Onions (1962)


1. Green Onions
2. Rinky Dink
3. I Got A Woman
4. Mo' Onions
5. Twist And Shout
6. Behave Yourself
7. Stranger On The Shore
8. Lonely Avenue
9. One Who Really Loves You
10. You Can't Sit Down
11. Woman A Lover A Friend
12. Comin' Home Baby

This album is basically Jimmy Smith, but in an R&B style rather than jazz. Unfortunately, it's aged about half as well. This album was largely recorded in that great early '60s fashion, when the title track became a massive hit and they realized they needed to capitalize on that. and quickly. The result is one amazing track and 11 other 'well, alright, if you must' tracks.

Of course, most people have heard the title track. It's a well deserved classic, oozing cool from every funky pore. Booker T.'s organ playing is both soulful and laid back, leading the song but not trying to play too much. Steve Cropper's guitar playing is funky enough that you'd swear he wasn't white. Fitting that this should come right after Ray Charles doing an album of country music.

The rest of the tracks are either more instrumental jams in a similar style (including 'Mo' Onions', which sounds like a commercial wanted to use 'Green Onions' but couldn't quite get the licensing), or instrumental covers of currently popular R&B tunes. And for some reason, 'Stranger on the Shore'. Sure, why not? These covers aren't necessarily bad, but listening to them now they contain a rather high level of early '60s kitsch. Half of the time it sounds like music you'd hear watching one of those hilarious old music shows with titles like Hullabaloo or Shindig. Go-go dancers as far as the eye can see. It was a simpler time. 7/10

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