Soul Finger [Import]

The Bar-Kays | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 13, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Rhino/Wea UK
• ASIN: B0000032E7
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,281 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Originally released in 1967, Soul Finger was the Bar-Kays' first album, and it's obvious why they were constantly lauded by legends such as Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper as key soul music innovators. Soul Finger was the only release by the original lineup before the tragic December 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding and four of the band (they reformed in 1968). The album contains 11 instrumental tracks, each of them catchy, danceable and all around attention-grabbing. Soul Finger is marked by Phalon Jones and Ben Cauley's infectious horn riffs and Jimmy King's sparse yet sensitive guitar work. Add Ronnie Caldwell's bluesy organ and Carl Cunningham's rock steady grooves, and you've got a hypnotic recipe for the down-home Memphis soul. Songs such as 'You Can't Sit Down' and 'Bar-Kay's Boogaloo' are ideal party tunes. Energetic and life affirming, this music is simply contagious. Includes original liner notes by Booker T. of the MG's. Warner. 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The young, new exponents of the Stax/Volt soul sound '67!, September 15, 2000

By 

Michael Sean (Seattle, WA - US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soul Finger (Audio CD)

The Bar-Kays were part of the next generation of Stax-Volt artists, entering a vibrant soul scene populated by the likes of Booker T. & the MG's, The Mar-Keys, Sam & Dave, William Bell, and Otis Redding. MG drummer Al Jackson, Jr. had taken the young group under his wing, gearing them up for this fantastic 1967 debut. The blistering title track is an unquestionable Memphis soul classic, kicking off a strong set of 11 instrumental cuts. House-wrecking numbers like "Knucklehead," "You Can't Sit Down" and "House Shoes" are sure to get your party started. Sadly, this would be the first and last record from the original Bar-Kays lineup. While on tour with Otis Redding, a tragic airplane crash took the lives of Otis and four members of the group, just six months after the release of this album. The remaining members (trumpeter Ben Cauley and bassist James Alexander) later reformed the group, playing back-up on several Isaac Hayes records and releasing a string of albums that moved their sound towards heavier funk with vocals. The CD reissue includes Booker T.'s original liner notes, testifying the promise of their contagious grooves. This disc is a very enjoyable and often overlooked gem. Definitely recommended for fans of '60s soul.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent and a half, May 28, 2010

By 

Bill Your 'Free Form FM Handi Cyber Print DJ ... (Mahwah, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Soul Finger (Audio CD)

Even if you don't know the title, almost everyone knows the sound of "Soul Finger," the 1967 hit off this Bar Keys album. The track is shorthand in films for wild soul partying. Those cheers in the background could be at a '67 bogaloo dance hall or a 2010 techno rave. I even think the blasting fire siren horns and stomping beat are a precursor to 1990s house music.

If you are reading, you probably know the Bar Keys were the Stax backing band and a lot of them died on the same plane as Otis Redding, though they did reform
"
What you may not know is that "Soul Finger" is by far not the only selling point of this album. At a half hour, this is a concentrated tablet of the bluesy romps that were dance music all over the US, particularly the old south.

With the gleaming exception of "With A Child's Heart," simply one of the most beautiful ballads you may have never heard, this is essential soul and dance music.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get up and dance, May 18, 2010

By 

Mrs. Wanda MOORE "movieholic" (Birmingham, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Soul Finger (Audio CD)

This is the kind of oldie that made you get up and dance even if you couldn't dance. Brings back memories of fun dancing.