Customer Reviews

Midnight Flyer

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

 

 

How can this CD be anything but fabulous. Felix of the Rascals & Steve Crooper of Booker T & the M G's. They both write great music and together in their second CD is worth the wait between works. There is funk & rock with a lot of blue-eyed soul. Top notch music.

Any serious fan of music was excited at the prospect of these two legends getting together. Two discs later this question begs to be asked: Why can't these still enormously talented guys create any sparks? The answer is pretty simple. Neither gentleman's songwriting abilities match their prodigious guitar playing and vocals respectively. Simply put, where are the songs? This isn't terrible, Cropper grooves are still as powerful today, Cavaliere's soulful voice is intact. It's pleasant, but has no passion or fire. It's admirable they're writing original material, however it's just not working. The cover of " I Can't Stand The Rain" is the best track on the album. To borrow the title of their last disc.... Guys...."Nudge It Up A Notch!"

When creating this CD, these amazing musicians had to consider not only their baby boomer listeners, but record execs, today's radio formats and music industry in general. I think on balance, they accomplished all of that, and still came up with some great songs:

Sexy Lady, Early Morning Riser, All Night Long, Do It Like This,

I Can't Stand The Rain, etc. And yes, the MOR stuff, but that's commercial music nowadays.

Not exactly the best CD I've listened to, but it was nice to hear the '60's voice of Felix Cavaliere and the instrumentation of Mr. Cropper and the MG's. Overall, however, it's a mediocre production with one or two highlight songs.

Steve Cropper (ace guitarist for Booker T and the MG's and Stax mainstay) and Felix Cavaliere (lead vocalist and organist for the Young Rascals) got together in 2008 for the tasty Nudge it up a Notch. Each showed some fire left in the tank, with Cropper's guitar playing instantly identifiable, and Cavaliere's soulful voice still intact. This second outing still finds resonance between the two players, but its smoother sound doesn't create the sparks of their previous outing. Key contributors to the previous album, including producer (and co-songwriter) Jon Tiven and drummer Chester Thompson are missed here. The opener, "You Give Me All I Need," plays like a Hall & Oates song, and the title track's galloping rhythm doesn't generate the heat that it should. The production is generally too modern and the sound too clean to give this album the bite these players need. The songs, written by Cropper, Cavaliere and their producer/drummer Tom Hambridge, aren't up to the level of their previous outing, neither evoking earlier glories nor offering anything startling new. The instrumental closer "Do it Like This" finds the album's best groove, and a pair of covers, Ann Peeble's "I Can't Stand the Rain" and Jerry Butler and Betty Everett's "I Can't Stand It," are more engaging than the original material. You can hear the musical talent, but neither the songs nor the production make the most of it. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

This is the second CD that these two have created. Midnight Flyer is much like the first, wow! This is a must have CD!

Two legendary greats- I agree with the previous reviewer, no fire. Updated state of the art sound, nothing memorable here. You'll check it out- listen once, think fondly upon all the great stuff they've done in the past- why can't music be like that today?- and then you'll file it away, probably never to listen to it again. Because there really aren't any great songs or magical performances. Every once in a while you'll hear the Rascal in Felix's voice.... then it's just another record again.