The first disc contains two complete records – Mr. Magic Man and Miz Lena’s Boy – and two bonus tracks. Mr. Magic Man opens with its title track, which was also released
as a single. It’s kind of catchy, but definitely has a 1970s pop sound, and is
not my favorite track. I prefer the following track, “Only I Can Sing This Song,”
which Wilson Pickett wrote. He delivers a heartfelt and moving vocal performance
here, singing of a lost love, of how he “watched
a future pass me by.” Interestingly, the song isn’t just about the woman
who broke up with him, but about being able to turn to his family for strength.
“Love Is Beautiful” doesn’t quite work now, perhaps because of the woman’s goal:
“You just wanted to be married, raise a
family and be a mighty fine wife.” It seems that his mellower tunes on this
LP work best, and I absolutely love “I Sho’ Love You.” Check out the way he
holds onto the word “please” in the
line “I told my emotions to please step
aside.” So good. “I Sho’ Love You” was written by Wilson Pickett, Brad
Shapiro and Dave Crawford. (Shapiro and Crawford also produced that album.) I
also love “If You Need Me,” which is so beautiful and simple. At the beginning
he sings, “If you need me, call me/If you
need me, call me/Don’t wait too long/If things go wrong me/I’ll be home.”
His vocal performance is just perfect, full of passion, and I also really like
the piano part. “If You Need Me” was written by Wilson Pickett, Robert Bateman
and Sonny Sanders, and is my favorite track from Mr. Magic Man.
Though there isn’t quite as much original material on Miz Lena’s Boy, I think in general it’s
a better album. It opens with “Take A Closer Look At The Woman You’re With,”
which was written by Wilson Pickett and Brad Shapiro. And right away it
announces that this album is going to be funkier. “Lord have mercy/How about that?” The bonus tracks on this disc
include the mono single version of this tune, which is just a bit shorter.
Wilson Pickett delivers an excellent and original take on Chuck Berry’s “Memphis,
Tennessee.” This is one of the highlights. It is so different from the original
version, but works so damn well. I completely love those backing vocals, which
are used sparingly and perfectly. And then there’s the horn. Geez, just
everything about this track is wonderful. Plus, it’s such a great song to begin
with. I still remember being surprised at just who it’s about the first time I
ever heard the Chuck Berry version. If somehow you haven’t heard this song, I
won’t spoil it for you here. Wilson Pickett also does a really good cover of Kris
Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” and he delivers what is
probably the best version of “Never My Love” I’ve ever heard. “Soft Soul Boogie Woogie” is a fun tune,
complete with hand-claps and a great beat, and the way Wilson sings it, the
vocals are almost like a percussion instrument, contributing to the rhythm. The
bonus tracks include the mono single version of this song. Also fun is “Two
Women And A Wife.” Hell, just that title is fun. “Two Women And A Wife” was
written by Wilson Pickett and Brad Shapiro. “Our great love affair is not meant to be/A man can love one woman, but
he can never have three.”
The second disc contains two complete LPs – Pickett In The Pocket and Join Me And Let’s Be Free – and two
bonus tracks. Pickett In The Pocket,
originally released in 1974, opens with “Iron It Out,” an energetic and funky
number written by George Jackson. That’s followed by a cover of Jesse
Winchester’s “Isn’t That So.” The bonus tracks include the mono single version
of this song. But for me, this LP really gets going with “I Was Too Nice,”
written by Wilson Pickett, Brad Shapiro and Barry Beckett. It has a cool, easy
groove. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I’m
crying tears alone/Gave up right for wrong/Made a sacrifice twice/I was too
nice, lord, I was too nice.” And it’s followed by the fun “Don’t Pass Me
By,” written by Wilson Pickett, Dave Crawford and Brad Shapiro. One of the best
tracks, though, is “Young Boy Blues,” a song written by Doc Pomus and Phil
Spector. This song was the title track for a Ben E. King album and later
recorded by The Honeydrippers, but while both of those renditions are good,
this version by Wilson Pickett is even better. Wilson really gets into it, and
I love the backing vocals on this track. “Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It”
is a funky number that was also released as a single. The bonus tracks include
the mono single version. It was written by Paul Butterfield and Bobby Charles. Pickett In The Pocket concludes with a
wonderful, moving rendition of Jackie Verdell’s “You’re The One.”
Join Me And Let’s
Be Free, the fourth and final album of this collection, opens with its
title track, a song that Wilson Pickett wrote. It has something of a gospel
feel, and lyrics that are a bit on the cheesy side: “Kick off your shoes of sadness/Try on this robe of love/Join me and let’s
be free.” Shoes of sadness? Geez. And I could do without the Jesus song, “I’ve
Got A Good Friend.” But there are some good tunes on this LP. “Smokin’ In The
United Nations” is a fun track, with a spoken word section about Los Angeles: “All the way out here in Los Angeles,
California/Where I heard it was nothing but pretty women, movie stars and
people laying around on the beach with a whole lot of money.” Written by
Kevin Beamish, Wilson Pickett and Yusuf Rahman, this song features the lines, “I had to build my house on a funky
plantation/But don’t be surprised if you look up and see me smokin’ in the
united nations.” Another highlight is “Good Things,” which features a
totally delicious groove and some nice work on harmonica.
CD Track List
CD One
- Mr. Magic Man
- Only I Can Sing This Song
- Love Is Beautiful
- I Sho’ Love You
- Baby Man
- Sin Was The Blame
- What It Is
- If You Need Me
- I Can’t Let My True Love Slip Away
- I Keep Walking Straight Ahead
- Take A Closer Look At The Woman You’re With
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Soft Soul Boogie Woogie
- Help Me Make It Through The Night
- Never My Love
- You Lay’d It On Me
- Is Your Love Life Better
- Two Women And A Wife
- Why Don’t You Make Up Your Mind
- Take The Pollution Out Your Throat
- Take A Closer Look At The Woman You’re With (Mono Promo Version)
- Soft Soul Boogie Woogie (Mono Promo Version)
CD Two
- Iron It Out
- Isn’t That So
- Take A Look
- I Was Too Nice
- Don’t Pass Me By
- What Good Is A Lie
- Young Boy Blues
- Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It
- You’re The One
- Join Me And Let’s Be Free
- Let’s Make Love Right
- I’ve Got A Good Friend
- Smokin’ In The United Nations
- Gone
- Good Things
- Higher Consciousness
- Bailin’ Hay On A Rainy Day
- Mighty Mouth
- Isn’t That So (Mono Promo Version)
- Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It (Mono Promo Version)
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