Jammed Together

Steve Cropper, Albert King, Pops Staples | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Stax
• ASIN: B000000ZJU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,971 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Import exclusive 24-bit digitally remastered reissue of 1969 album packaged in a digipak. Stax. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Snap, Crackle & "Pop"!, October 22, 2004

By 

Chuck Potocki (Crown Point, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jammed Together (Audio CD)

One thing is certain...when these guys said "Jammed Together", they MEANT it; what an awesome album this is! Here we have two of the blues' elder statesmen (Pop Staples & Albert King), and the young "whippersnapper" (Steve Cropper) all assembled in one place, and the results are fantastic; there's no doubt that the three of them had a great time making this album!

"Jammed Together" isn't an album of self-indulgent guitar solos and noodling to satisfy egos; the title tells you all you need to know: this is all meat, no filler, folks. Because each of the three guitarists have very distinctive playing styles and tones, you can literally pick them out as you listen to it.

A great example of this can be heard on the rocking instrumental "Big Bird", where Cropper, King and Staples each occupy the left, middle and right stereo channels respectively, but the stereo separation didn't really need to be done so you'll know who is who; as I said, you'll literally be able to identify them with each solo turn.

In addition to the fabulous guitar playing, all three take turns on vocals as well; King leads off with the Ray Charles classic "What I'd Say", Cropper turns in a rare vocal on "Don't Turn Your Heater Down", and Staples on the positively spine-tingling "Tupelo", where his soulful vocals and trademark tremelo-effected guitar give the track a swampy, ominous feel and mood. It's very obvious that this song influenced John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival, as evidenced by the CCR tracks "The Midnight Special" & "Born On The Bayou" alone.

Released on the Stax label in early 1969, "Jammed Together" is a genuine blues/soul classic; get it now!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic!, July 24, 2002

By 

deepbluereview "deepbluereview" (SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jammed Together (Audio CD)

Jammed Together is somewhat of a surprise jam disc featuring three musicians with seemingly little in common. Pops Staples, Steve Cropper and Albert King. Pops Staples, the leader of the Staple singers, started his solo career at the ripe age of seventy. Pops played guitar with incredible agility for a man of seventy and his voice has been described as rough and sweet, sometimes wispy but full of soul. Pops released two solo albums, both steeped in gospel, in addition to this jam before his death on December 19, 2000. Steve Cropper was a guitarist for the popular R&B band, Booker T. & the MGs. Cropper was also a member of the Blues Brothers Band of film and recording fame. Albert King, was, well, Albert King, guitar extraordinaire. The guitar interplay between these three performers is first rate, exciting, sometimes funky and never dull. The guitarists blend with harmonious splendor and it is often hard to pick out which guitarist is playing the various solos. Vocal performances are kept to a minimum with each performer singing lead on one song apiece. This is Stax Records equivalent to Alligators "Showdown" featuring Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland. Mighty good stuff. The liner notes are sparse and, as much as I would like to credit the excellent backup band, their identities are not revealed in the notes.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remastered Masterpiece!, August 2, 2002

By 

deepbluereview "deepbluereview" (SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jammed Together (Audio CD)

If you are like me, you sometimes wonder whether it's worth it to spend a couple of extra dollars to obtain a "remastered" CD, especially when the original version is still available. In this instance, I purchased the regular version of this CD and was so impressed with the performance of these three individuals that I gave in to the urge to also purchase this 24 BIT remastered for comparison purposes. The first thing that is noticeable is the improved quality of the bass and vocals on all songs. This is especially noticeable on the disc's opener, "What'd I Say" where, on the original, the bass and vocals sound as though they are miles away from the other performers. In fact, the bass is now so prominent on this particular track, that some may find it just a little too much. Overall, the improved sound quality merits the extra couple of bucks and the 24 BIT remastering will enhance your listening experience with this particular disc.