Customer Reviews

McLemore Avenue

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This 1970 album pays tribute to the Beatles studio swan song, Abbey Road. The original album's tracks (save "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," "Oh! Darling" and "Octopus's Garden") are arranged as instrumentals in three medleys and a solo spotlight of George Harrison's "Something." Booker T's organ and piano, and Steve Cropper's guitar provide most of the vocal melody lines. The results are interesting, if not always particularly inventive. Many of the songs find resonance with the group's soulful style, but neither the arrangements nor the performances offer the last-gasp creative dominance the Beatles poured into the final work.

By this point in Booker T. & the M.G.'s career, the soul grooves that had backed Stax's great vocal acts and launched iconic instrumental hits were second nature, and perhaps that's part of the problem. A few of the performances, such as "Here Comes the Sun" and "You Never Give Me Your Money," fail to strike any new sparks, and sound more like the uninspired cover versions churned out by faceless studio groups in the `60s than the high-octane output of the era's most famous instrumental soul combo. In contrast, Al Jackson kicks up sparks with his resonant tom-tom lead in to "The End," Booker T and Steve Cropper cut winning solos on "Something," and the four parts of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" fits the four instrumentalists like a glove.

Concord's reissue reproduces the original album cover - a Memphis-based pastiche of the original - and adds liner notes by Ashley Kahn. The album's original tracks are augmented by five additional Beatles covers drawn from the group's albums, all remastered in 24-bits by Joe Tarantino. Among the bonuses are an unreleased alternate take of "You Can't Do That" and an unlisted radio ad delivered as an "Her Majesty" like coda at the end of the last track. Interestingly, this was the next-to-last album recorded by the MGs for Stax, mirroring Abbey Road's place in the Beatles' recording history; but it was the group's terrific last LP, Melting Pot, that was their own proper swan song. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

(Like "Electric Mud" by Muddy Waters) "McLemore Avenue" by Booker T. & The M.G.'s divided fans and critics alike at the time of release - and has done so ever since. Some call it a masterpiece - even visionary - while others see it as little more than an opportunistic cash-in that only half worked in Stax's otherwise impressively individualistic canon of releases. More than 40 years after the event - I think it's fair enough to call it a bit of both - good and bad (much like this new reissue actually). Here are the details...

Released May 2011, Concord Music Group, Inc 0888072328747 breaks down as follows (59:03 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 4 are the album "McLemore Avenue" released April 1970 in the USA on Stax Records STS 2027 and July 1970 in the UK on Stax SXATS 1031

Tracks 5 to 10 are all Beatles covers - 5 and 6 are "You Can't Do That" and "Day Tripper" from the 1960 album "Soul Men"; 7 and 9 are "Michelle" and "Lady Madonna" from the 1969 album "The Booker T. Set"; 8 is "Eleanor Rigby" from the 1968 album "Soul Limbo" - while track 10 is a PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (Alternate Take) of "You Can't Do That" (recorded 1960).

The new 12-page booklet has very knowledgeable and affectionate liner notes by ASHLEY KHAN (author of books on the recording career of John Coltrane and Miles Davis). You also get the original artwork and production credits, a collage of 2 photos on the inlay beneath the see-through tray and the disc itself pictures the group too. But it's a shame the booklet doesn't go any further - there's no new photos, no memorabilia - not even a picture of the lone 7" single of "Something" (US or UK). It makes the inlay feel workmanlike at best - even a little dull - when it should have spread its wings a little. But the big news is the SOUND...

I bought and recently reviewed another title in this new "Stax Remasters" series - "Be Altitude: Respect Yourself" by The Staples Singers and I duly raved about the fabulous sound quality on that after years of lacklustre reissues in jewel cases and repro digipaks. This is the same. 24-bit remastered from the first generation tapes by JOE TARANTINO at Joe Tarantino Mastering in Berkeley, California - the audio quality is truly GORGEOUS - absolutely incredible clarity that will make you reassess every song.

To the music - it probably seemed like a good idea at the time - "McLemore Avenue" would cover the recently released "Abbey Road" album by The Beatles (September 1969) and do it all in that distinctive Booker T & The M.G.'s instrumental style. They even aped the famous UK album sleeve and wittily called it after the street on which the Stax Studios resided in Memphis. They also realigned the 17-songs of the original LP into four new tracks - three lengthy Medleys and one straight up shorter cover of "Something" (which was actually released as a 45 on both sides of the pond to some success). The problem for me is that of the four tracks only two really work - "Something" and the "Because/You Never Give Me Your Money" Medley. The playing and clever interpretation on each is superb. On the other two however - I feel the band sounds way too close to a poor man's Procol Harum without the vocals. But again I must reiterate that if you have any affection for these songs, you 'need' to hear them on this stunningly good new remaster.

Of the five bonus covers - the best is undoubtedly Track 5 - the first version of "You Can't Do That" (from "A Hard Day's Night") - it's really excellent. Unfortunately the cuts of "Day Tripper", "Michelle" and "Lady Madonna" don't fare so well - barely rising above a bar-band doing cheesy Lounge versions of famous Beatles songs - it's not good. The last track is an (Alternate Take) of "You Can't Do That" which is a lot rougher than the first and not as good either.

Too sum up - I wasn't prepared for two things on this reissue - the truly astonishingly remaster by Joe Tarantino - and secondly how it transformed the listen and made me reassess what I had formerly thought of as an anomaly - an LP on Stax best avoided.

If you're a fan of the record - this is no-brainer - it's an absolute must-own. If you're like me and aren't particularly bothered, I'd still say give "Something" and the "Because/You Never Give Me Your Money" Medley a try on iTunes - you'll be more than impressed.

Perhaps more to the point - if the rest of this mid-priced Stax Label re-launch sounds 'this good' - then I'm gonna purchase the lot - regardless.

Recommended.

PS: titles in the "STAX REMASTERS" series are (all reviewed):
1. McLemore Avenue - BOOKER T. & THE M.G.'s (1970)
2. Woman To Woman - SHIRLEY BROWN (1974)
3. Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get - THE DRAMATICS (1972)
4. Be Altitude: Respect Yourself - THE STAPLE SINGERS (1972)
5. Taylored In Silk - JOHNNIE TAYLOR (1973)
6. Do The Funky Chicken - RUFUS THOMAS (1969)

The chances are, if you are reading this review you are already a fan of Booker T & MG's and possibly already own a copy of this album and trying to decide if it worth buying this "HD" copy. I have quite a few "remixed" cd's in my collection and this is the best I have heard. Very clean with nice bass definition.
I would say that the extra tracks are not as good as the main titles, but still not bad.

So - do yourself a favour - buy it - now!!

Just as a reference - listening with, Onkyo 715 compact cd/tuner/amp & pair of TDL bookshelf speakers on stands.

good driving music. in the background and not overpowering. if you like booker t, this is a good cd to buy.

Groovy instrumentals (a few words are spoken during "The End") by Booker T. and the MG's at their best. Really gives a new perspective on the songs being done in a soulful fashion. I guess I know the Beatles album too well as I don't care for the sequence of the songs. Might have been better had they stuck to the original sequence. Still, great music from the late '60's and the original Stax Studios.

This release reflects the creative minded artist roster that STAX created during it's heyday. The concept was right and the music is quite inspiring on this collection,theirs not much that can be said that has'nt already about this 1970 classic,however I would like to add that although Booker T Jones was and still is one of the grooviest Hammond B-3 players around he is also a very underrated Blues Pianist as he has displayed throught his career. Anyone interested in more STAX should check out oneline(or visit as I have) the STAX museum in Memphis,check out their website.

Whether Booker T. and The M.G.s should've been so audacious as to remake the Beatles Abbey Road as an instrumental is now history. This was their next to last album from the Stax era with basic tracks laid down in Memphis. Having owned this on EMI UK vinyl, the original Fantasy CD (lacklustre), the ZXY 24 bit master from 2001 (improved somewhat but mainly in increasing the amount of tape hiss) and the Universal Japan SHM- CD (2009 - excellent) I have to say that Concord's Stax Remaster is an improvement on the latter for a quarter the price - great to have. Booklet notes excellent - plus additional Beatles tracks from archives and other Booker T. and The M.G.s' CDs - what's not to like?
New management at Concord in the person of a Chris Clough is now overseeing the Stax label after the utterly embarrassing "all mouth and trousers" 50th Anniversary initiative which ended up - with the exception of an utterly excellent remaster of "Black Moses" in a facsimile of the album sleeve that was 20% the price of the SHM-CD remaster that was extremely difficult to find - adding nothing to the Stax/Volt legacy - was Dusty Springfield necessary on the US "Boy Meets Girl" reissue?
Where Mr Clough takes us from here will be interesting - surely "Melting Pot" and maybe the Cropper/King/Staples masterpiece "Jammed Together" (why only part 1 of Tupelo on the Definitive Albert King??).
Good to have Stax brushed off and polished up - but - as Concord's vision of Stax moves to upgraded 24 bit remasters of the archives - much to the delight of soul music audiophiles - the paradox is the rest of the world heading towards downgrading said upgrades to mp3s.

I love Booker T's music. I especially wanted this album because I am from Memphis, too and I like the Beatles. The album incorporated both things at once, with the Abby Road/McLemore Avenue parody and the cover of the songs. I did not like his versions. I would be much happier with original Booker T music.