Customer Reviews

Two for the Price of One

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I first found this album on vinyl in a junk shop in Birmingham, UK, in 1975. It was a perfect match for the times because like many other kids at the time I'd grown tired of over-produced mainstream soul and I wanted something with a raw edge to it. It has energy and honesty and is one of the best examples of sixties soul ever to be pressed. I've still got the vinyl copy but I'm taking the cd - it would grace any collection of essential soul classics.

If you couldn't tell from the cover of the album, listen to the music inside: these two guys obviously had a great time recording together. Fun, frisky, joyful, funky: this album has it all. Johnny Watson later became well known as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, but this album recorded with Larry Williams in 1967, remains one of the best things he ever did. The CD version of this album contains eight bonus tracks. The first six songs are red-hot instrumentals, culled from Watson's album for the Okeh label, "The Fantastic Piano and Guitar of Johnny Watson." The final two tracks, which include vocals from Watson, were originally on the album "In a Fats Bag: the Johnny Guitar Watson Trio Plays Fats Waller." More icing on an already delicious cake. Any fans of Northern Soul, or even 70s soul and funk, should get this one. Not a weak song to be found.

you can buy it very cheaply as part of the box set Perfect Blues Collection. I wasn't very impressed by it, but at the price it was an interesting side trip.