Customer Reviews

Encouraging Words (Mlps)

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It's a tragedy that this album has been so overlooked. To put it bluntly, this album deserves to be considered one of the top ten soul albums of all time. Billy Preston's beatiful organ and singing voice are complemented by excellent guitars (probably George Harrison, but there's very little info available about this album), an exciting rhythm section, and gorgeous backing vocals. The production and sound quality of this CD is fantastic.

The first two tracks should impress you right off the bat. "Right Now" is a great bit of rock and roll that would've fit perfectly on The Beatles' Let It Be album, on which Preston of course also played. "Little Girl" is a slow, powerful soul number with some of Billy's best singing.

The rest of the album is equally compelling stuff. Preston's covers of Beatles and Harrison songs are wonderful interpretations, but I actually prefer the songs that he penned himself.

If you enjoy Billy's keyboards, arrangements, and other contributions to Beatles and Rolling Stones songs, then I highly recommend this album, along with his earlier effort, That's The Way God Planned It. Of Billy's later material, check out his live album from his 1973 European Tour which featured the Rolling Stones' Mick Taylor as guest lead guitarist.

Monday 25 October 2010 has seen 14 of the 'Apple' label albums remastered and reissued alongside "Come And Get It" - a first-time-ever label 'Best Of'. This reissue is one of them.

"Encouraging Words" was the second and last album on Apple Records for long-time friend and sometimes collaborator with The Beatles - American keyboardist and Soul Singer Billy Preston. And along with his excellent debut LP the year before (1969's "That's The Way God Planned It") - it's not just one of the labels better offerings, it's a criminally forgotten Seventies Soul gem - and arguably the best album of his long career.

Apple 5099990823923 breaks down as follows (54:44 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 13 are the LP "Encouraging Words" released 11 September 1970 in the UK on Apple SAPCOR 14 (Stereo only) and on Apple ST-3370 in the USA.

Tracks 14 and 15 are the 2 bonus tracks given with the 1993 reissue - "As Long As I Got My Baby" (a Preston original) and "All That I Got (I'm Gonna Give It To You)" (a co-wrote with Doris Troy).
"As Long As I Got My Baby" was intended to be the B-side of Preston's version of "My Sweet Lord" on Apple 29 (scheduled for September 1970 release in the UK), but was withdrawn.
"All That I Got (I'm Gonna Give It To You)" was co-produced with GEORGE HARRISON and released as a 7" single on 30 January 1970 in the UK on Apple 21.
It's B-side "As I Get Older" is on the "That's The Way God Planned It" CD reissue as a bonus (track 14) - both songs were non-album at the time of release.

Track 16 is a new bonus for this 2010 issue - the previously unreleased fully formed song - "How Long Has the Train Been Gone". It was co-written with Bruce Fisher, recorded in January 1970 and then later re-recorded for Preston's 1973 album on A&M Records - "Everybody Loves Some Kind Of Music" (he would also re-record "When You Were Mine" for his 1976 A&M album "Billy Preston").

BOOKLET/PACKAGING:
Noted writer and music lover ANDY DAVIS does the new liner notes for the disappointingly weedy 12-page booklet (EMI pushes the boat out again people). But with what little text he has been afforded, Davis does at least fill it with properly informative details - and it's peppered with some very tasty full-page colour photos of Preston from the time. No UK singles were issued around the record (possibly why it disappeared so quick), but there is a full-page reproduction of an advert for the American single of "My Sweet Lord" on Apple 1826 (it also names Radio Stations supporting the song).

PLAYERS:
The cast is impressive (if not a little vague) - GEORGE HARRISON co-produced the entire album with Preston, ERIC CLAPTON played guitar on 3 tracks - "Right Now", "Use What You Got" and "Encouraging Words". RINGO STARR and KLAUS VOORMAN are said to be on Drums and Bass respectively, while DELANEY BRAMLETT also plays guitar on "Encouraging Words" with Eric. The Rhythm Section for THE TEMPTATIONS are on there (Bass, Guitarist, Drums) while members of SAM and DAVE'S band played Drums and Bass too. Both MADELINE BELL and DORIS TROY provided beautiful soulful backing vocals (Doris Troy's lone album on Apple "Doris Troy" was released the week earlier - 4 September 1970) while the EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS are on "My Sweet Lord" and "Sing One For The Lord".

CONTENT:
Six of the 13 are Billy Preston originals with "My Sweet Lord" and "All Things (Must) Pass" being George Harrison compositions. "Let The Music Play", "The Same Thing Again" and "Sing One For The Lord" are co-writes with Jesse Kirkland, James Herndon and George Harrison respectively. Which leaves two cover versions - The Beatles' "I've Got A Feeling" and "You've Been Acting Strange" by Ronnie Lee Williams (also covered by Merry Clayton on her 1970 "Gimme Shelter" album). Unlike some of the other Apple issues, there are no extra tracks via download. But the really big news is the SOUND...

SOUND:
The same team that handled the much-praised 09/09/09 Beatles remasters have done this - GUY MASSEY, STEVE ROOKES, PHIL HICKS and SIMON GIBSON. I always thought the initial 1993 reissue was dull-as-dishwater soundwise - well not so now because the audio quality here is BEAUTIFUL - a massive improvement. It also makes you reassess a lot of the songs and appreciate more Harrison's excellent production contributions.

"Right On" is a superb opener and sets the tone for the overall funky feel of the album (surely it would have been a hit single). "When You Are Mine" is a sweetheart too as is "Use What You Got" (with great wah-wah guitar from Clapton). Very cool stuff. Conversely - the two most famous 'early versions' of Harrison classics "My Sweet Lord" and "All Things (Must) Pass" are the ones that work the least well for me. Not so the stunning blues-soul of "The Same Thing Again" co-written with the noted Gospel singer James Herndon - it's a monster. It had customers coming to the counter in our shop wanting to know which 'Ray Charles' tune we were playing (praise indeed).

"Encouraging Words" is a brilliantly brassy dancer with a message for the 'kids' to be kind, stay in school and don't get suckered (lyrics above). It really is so good. The brass, the great production and the remaster combine to fill your room with superlative soul-funk. But for me the absolute dog's undercarriage is the fabulous Beatles-meets-Gospel "Sing One For The Lord" - Preston's huge organ playing combines with the choir feel of the backing vocals, George's meaty guitar riff and a lingering Sitar-sounding instrument called the Indian Tamboura which floats over the whole thing - it's a stunning cross-pollination of cultures and music and as close to post-Beatles magic as you can get.

Although a little hissy - the new song "How Long Has The Train Been Gone" is a slow soulful gem - it's fantastic - I can't believe its been lingering in vaults all these years. And like the new bonus track "Something's Got To Change" on the "That's The Way God Planned It" CD reissue (see separate review) - it's that rarest thing, a genuine must-have bonus track.

Niggles - the gatefold card sleeve is nice to look at for sure, but the booklet and overall packaging feel lightweight (what EMI could get away with). The CD should have one of those gauze inner bags to protect it - a problem that no record company seems to want to acknowledge (scuffing and damage). They're minor points I know, but worth making...

To sum up - I've loved rehearing this forgotten peach of an album in this hugely improved sound quality - Seventies Soul lovers 'need' to discover this great record. I'm also reminded of crying uncontrollably when I saw Billy Preston play "Isn't It A Pity" live with Eric Clapton and that fantastic band at the "Concert For George" in The Royal Albert Hall in 2002 - magical. Too many losses man...remember them and him this way.

A brilliant reissue and recommended big time.

PS: see also my reviews for other releases in this October 2010 series:
"That's The Way God Planned It" (1969) by Billy Preston, "Doris Troy" (1970), "James Taylor" (1968), "Is This What You Want?" (1969) by Jackie Lomax, "Magic Christian Music" (1969), "No Dice" (1970), "Straight Up" (1972) and "Ass" (1973) by Badfinger

this was Preston's swang song for the Apple lable. Billy would go on ofcourse to work alongside the Rolling Stones on several early 70's stellar recordings( Goats Head soup etc..) as well as producing chart topping material in the 70's at A&M. Encouraging Words" has to be his most cohesive record. The material chosen for this album was a nice mixture of originals and material written with the albums co-producer Beatle George Harrison. The versions of Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and the Lennon/McCartney "I've Got a Feeling" are totally re-worked into a Gospel influenced Funk stew..splendid. The only downside of the reissue(and theirs not that many, included are 2 very good previously unreleased gems which led me to wonder after all these years how many other previously unreleased gems are stored in the Apple vaults?.)is the ommision of session players in the extended liner notes. It had been mentioned that this information has been lost with time. With the exception of George Harrison,and a few of Preston stateside friends their is not much information concerning the marvelous studio performances on this release..with all the Beatle/Apple archivist out their one would think these issues would be resolved. Still a powerful album worth collecting and keeping.

I started buying Records at a very young age. I would collect pop bottles and sell shopping bags at the Farmers Market to make money so I tried to be smart with my purchases. Strangely the first three albums I bought were The Dells "Like It Is, Like It Was", and Billy Prestons "That's the Way God Planned It" and "Encouraging Words." I didn't buy them at their time of release but through an older teenage friend of the family, who had the Dells "Love Is Blue" and Prestons's "I Wrote A Simple Song", I came to LOVE two artist whose recordings were not as popular or mainstream as a lot of other artist during that time. To me however, they were the best out there. The first Billy Preston song that I heard on the radio was "All That I Got(I'm Gonna Give It To You)" but at the time I didn't know who wrote it and I maybe only heard it 5 or 6 times but I never forgot the chorus/bridge where he says " I'll give you all my money.....etc....When I discovered who song that song I was dissappointed that it wasn't on either of his first and only two Apple LP's, but I was not disappointed with the songs on either of those LP's. Great LP's both. So in purchasing "Encouraging Words" on the Remastered CD I was thrilled when I saw "All That I Got(I'm Gonna Give It To You)" among the songs on the track list for I knew that was the long lost song that I had never forgotten that they played on the radio so many years ago. See Mr Barry's fantastic review for details of the content of this CD as well as the "That's The Way God Planned It" and other Apple remastered Cd's from that ERA. He seems to have captured the essence and importance of the remastering of these LP's for release after all these years. He also gives a fine review of each of the songs from these CD's. I will speak on the quality of the Re-master, since another reviewer thought that it didn't work. Can you say "EXCELLENT?" When compared to the original LP's the quality is a million times better. I am hearing instruments I never heard on the LP's in this CD Remaster. The drumming is strong and the cymbals clear. The tamborines sound crystal clear, and the organs and pianos strong and sharp. Billy's voice is quite clear and listening instantly reminded me of how well he can sing and how he made me want to sing and learn to play the piano. Granted I have a pretty good audio system and I play records and cd's through two channel audio using 4 audio only speakers and not through the surround channels and surround sound speakers that I use for movies. (Yes 9 speakers and two subwoofers, 4 audio, 5 video/surround w/bass from the subs for audio and video) In my opinion that is the only way to listen to music. Finally I don't believe you can go wrong with these remasters from Apple and I plan to replace all of my Billy Preston LP's with remastered CD's as they are released as long as the price is reasonable. I applaud the record companies for re-releasing those classic lp's and I PRAY that Billy's estate is benefitting as well. Sincerely.

Definitely one of Billy Preston's best works. His good friend Eric Clapton helped out by playing some guitar on the album.