Better to Have It

Bobby Purify | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 19, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Proper Records Us
• ASIN: B0009WFFL8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,944 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist

"I went on down there, and when Bobby started singin’ and playin’ the guitar, right away, it stood all my hairs up on my arm. He was singin’ R&B like they did in the ’60s, which is the only kind of R&B I know, and you just don’t hear that no more. What they call R&B these days, that ain’t the real thing." - Dan Penn, 2005

"Mr. Purify, along with his gospel and blues qualities, has that touch of the South and that pinch of country that puts him in the great lineage of down-home r&b singers from south of the Mason-Dixon line—the Arthur Alexanders, the Joe Simons, the Percy Sledges, the Clarence Carters—and yes, dare I say it—the Otis Reddings. - Jerry Wexler, 2005

About the Artist

When connoisseurs of soul music hear the names Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, David Hood, Jimmie Johnson, Reggie Young, Wayne Jackson and Carson Whitsett, they perk up, because those names are all over the credits of some of their most treasured records. It isn’t every day that these legends of Memphis and Muscle Shoals lore come together, but the entire magnificent seven eagerly converged on Penn’s Dandy Studio in Nashville recently when they heard the news: Bobby Purify had returned.

Of the great soul singers from R&B’s golden age in the 1960s and ’70s, Purify is perhaps the most underappreciated. Although he’s the contemporary — and equal — of such southern soul legends as Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge and Solomon Burke, his stature has been obscured by a twisted career path and some basic confusion. The singer/guitarist’s real name is Ben Moore, and he worked with and behind the likes of Otis, James Carr, James Brown and the Tams before becoming half of Ben & Spence, who cut a number of sides for Atlantic in the ’60s before hooking up with James Purify in 1971. Adding to the confusion is the fact that Moore was the third individual to take the name Bobby Purify, although he’s answered to that moniker for close to 35 years. These and other circumstances conspired to deny him the fame he deserved, and he’s had some hard times, especially in recent years—but one thing that couldn’t be taken away from Bobby Purify was his gift. And that makes his unexpected! and triumphant return a joyous event for all of those who care about rhythm & blues in the original, uncorrupted sense.

Better to Have It vividly recaptures the entire expanse of first-generation Southern soul, from the silky balladry of "Forever Changed" to the swampy vibes of "The Pond". Among the most powerful moments is the ballad "Nobody’s Home," which moves from social commentary to a sort of down-home metaphysics during its three-and-half minutes. The pathos of the lyric clearly affected Purify, who gives a performance of stunning conviction. "It hit me like an old Drifters tune," says Penn, "but when Bobby did it, he took it somewhere else." Another stunner is the closing "Only in America," a patriotic song that, like Brother Ray’s indelible performance of "America the Beautiful" near the end of his life, renders Red State/Blue State partisanship moot. - Bud Scoppa, 2005

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem of Southern Soul, September 9, 2005

By 

Juan Mobili (Valley Cottage, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Better to Have It (Audio CD)

This is Bobby Purify -the name alone already should announce what's possible- returning from oblivion and putting together his first album in many years.
I understand, he's gone through some very hard times which, unfortunately, is not an isolated case. He's not the only great musician who's lack of recognition seems to be inversely proportional to his tremendous talent, yet this album -if it receives the proper attention it deserves- should change all that.
Exquisitely produced by Dan Penn and backed by some of Muscle Shoals greats like Spooner Oldham and Jimmie Johnson, this album is an absolute gem of Southern Soul. When Jerry Wexler, in the liner notes, mentions Purify's name next to Arthur Alexander or Otis Redding, I don't believe he's exagerating.
Bobby Purify, after almost forty years of singing, still has one of the most beautiful Soul voices I've ever heard. His tone, phrasing and capacity to bring out the heart out of every word is stunning, this is a master lesson on how to bare one's deepest feelings without ever losing sight of the song nor indulging in vocal acrobatic. Revealing everything without ever showing off.
It's hard not to mention every song included here, each a gorgeous example of great singing, thoughtful arrangements and dead-on atmosphere, but if pushed to it I've got to say that the ballads are the biggest gift. "Things Happen," "Forever Changed," "Testimony Of A Fool," and "Hate To See You Go" can be enough to justify a singer's career, let alone be found in one album.
The rest of the album does not stay behind and, again, the production and arrangements -the horns, guitar and piano are wonderful throughout- offer Purify the perfect backdrop to let it all come out and touch your heart like the sweetest breeze, or a longed-for blessing.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars +1/2 -- Magnificent return of a soul legend, July 25, 2005

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Better to Have It (Audio CD)

The history of "Bobby Purify" is surprisingly complicated. The original singer to use this name was half of the duo James & Bobby Purify. Confusingly, the two were not brothers, but cousins, and Bobby Purify was actually named Robert Lee Dickey. The duo waxed several soul hits, including Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham's 1966 Muscle Shoals' classic, "I'm Your Puppet." A half-decade later, Bobby split the duo, and after a short time as a solo artist, James adopted a new "Bobby Purify," in the voice and person of Ben Moore. It's this latter Bobby Purify who's returned to the studio to wax this CD.

Moore had a career under his own name before teaming up as a Purify, and recorded as both Bobby Purify and Ben Moore over the subsequent years. As a Purify he re-recorded the duo's signature hit and re-charted in the U.K. Under his given name he recorded several albums, including a grammy nominated gospel disc. He toured into the late '90s, retired for a few years after going blind in 1998, and only recently returned to active duty. That complicated path has now brought him back to his native '60s soul sound, backed by a who's who of R&B legends, including Penn (who co-wrote a dozen new songs for the album), Oldham, David Hood and Jimmie Johnson. The result is a stunningly authentic '60s soul album, recorded in Nashville in the 21st century!

Moore's voice shows light signs of aging, but his soulfulness is unaffected, and the production, arrangements (particularly the laid-back punctuations of the horn section) and analog recordings create the sort of warmth that's completely missing from today's R&B. Penn's songs are often outstanding, with the emotional social ballad "Nobody's Home" providing the album's centerpiece. With such perfect backing on purpose-written material, it's clear that Moore is a singer who deserves to be mentioned with the likes of Solomon Burke and Tyrone Davis, and that his continuing vitality marks him as a whole lot more than a legacy-styled oldies act. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soul Music From the Heart and the Gut, September 24, 2006

By 

Silasdog "Silasdog" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Better to Have It (Audio CD)

I won't even attempt to write as eloquently as the first 6 reviewers, I can't do it. But if this recording doesn't move you, then you're probaly dead and don't know it yet; or perhaps you simply have a "hole in your soul." I can't stop playing this CD. If you're looking for the kind of music that will put goose bumps and your flesh, make the hairs on your neck tingle, and bring a tear to your eye, then search no more, this is it. If this CD doesn't get you "where you live," then you haven't lived enough life i.e., haven't known personal affliction, or devastating loss, becoming one with a woman, or rebounding from a bad situation to have the last laugh. In addition, folks who may fancy themselves songwriters can get a master class from the compositions of Dan Penn on this CD. I could go on and on, but this recording is a must for soul music lovers.