Customer Reviews

The Very Best of Wilson Pickett

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3 star:		(1)
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Wilson Pickett passed away on January 20, 2006, but his spirit lives on to me. After hearing about his passing, I went on to get a best of CD by him to remember him. This is a wonderful, dynamic album of his best songs. Although I wasn't born the time he was famous, it makes me feel like I'm in that period where he's singing In The Midnight Hour, my favorite. I was still hearing that song on some radio stations playing older hits recently. The other famous hits of Mustang Sally, 634-5789, and the fun Land of A Thousand Dances are just as durable. But after those four, I heard some more funky numbers that really challenged some of James Brown's hits. Wilson can sure be hollering, yelling on the others, proving that he's got soul too. One of the other standouts is Engine No. 9 from 1970, which is heavy on the funk and beats and one of Gamble and Huff's best records before they dominated most of the '70s. This is the first time that I got to hear it and it's already another Wilson Pickett favorite to me right up there with Midnight! Even the two Bobby Womack-written songs are fabulous as well as the ones that Wilson wrote himself. So I suggest to anyone to get this CD right away to remember Wilson Pickett and the impact he made on music. He ranks right up there with Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Bobby Womack,Teddy Pendergrass, Little Richard, Lou Rawls, Luther Vandross and others as one of the best soul singers.

This was a CD replacement for my old vinyl. Same song selections but the sound quality is tinny and thin. Disappointing.

This is just what you need to kick start your Wicked Pickett collection. The first five songs are his major hits and hearing them back to back like this is almost overwhelming!(be warned stero lovers,they are in mono because the orginial analog mono masters were used its actually what I prefer)The remastering is great thanks to Rhino of course and the songs are terrific. I can't believe how good they got "I found a love" to sound its not perfect but its much better than any other remaster of that song. There are other songs that one could argue about not being here but that's not the purpose of this collection for those who wish for more grit I recommend "A man and A Half." Wilson is truly astounding on these sixteen cuts, its a shame he wasnt as successful on the pop charts. His roaring, raspy delivery is so drenched in gospel it makes you wonder(gospel fans) what Archie Brownlee would have sounded like had he went secular. The annotation and sequencing are great and the music is outstanding. Exquisite Pickett! :o)

There are several Wilson Pickett compilations available which offer up his greatest hits, but Rhino seems to have covered his career six ways to the wind. In addition to this package they also have a 2-CD set with 44 tracks entitled A Man And A Half: The Best Of Wilson Pickett, and two other single-disc sets with 12 tracks each with the titles Exciting Wilson Pickett and Essentials.

This compilation, complete with informative liner notes and excellent AAD sound reproduction, present 16 of his best singles from among the 49 he put onto the R&B charts from 1963 to 1987, 38 of which crossed over to the Billboard Pop Hot 100 from 1963 to 1973. And, for the most part, they are the top 16 in terms of overall chart performance.

The lone exception is a song that was based upon a traditonal folk song called Stack-O-Lee, first brought to prominence in 1959 by Lloyd Price who's version went to # 1 Billboard Hot 100 AND R&B as Stagger Lee [in 1971 Tommy Roe had a # 25 Hot 100 with the same tune under the same title]. Wilson's rendition, titled Stag-O-Lee, made it to # 13 R&B and # 22 Hot 100 in December 1967.

Following three minor hits for Double L in 1963, the best of which was the Chuck Willis composition It's Too Late [# 7 R&B/# 49 Hot 100 that September], he made his hit debut with Atlantic in 1965 when In The Midnight Hour reached # 1 R&B and # 21 Hot 100 in August, follow by Don't Fight It - not included here - which topped out at # 4 R&B/# 53 Hot 100 in December. He then hit it big with a re-working of the 1962 Marvelettes' hit Beechwood 4-5789, taking 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.) to # 1 R&B (where it remained for SEVEN weeks) and # 13 Hot 100 in the spring of 1966.

Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won't Do) then rose to # 13 R&B/# 53 Hot 100 that summer], and in September he again reached back into the past to cover another oldie, this time Land Of 1000 Dances [# 77 Hot 100 in 1963 for Chris Kenner and # 30 Hot 100 in 1965 for Cannibal & The Headhunters], only his became the top version ever, reaching # 1 R&B/# 6 Hot 100. It would be his best Pop crossover.

Three solid hits followed in succession: Mustang Sally [# 6 R&B/# 23 Hot 100 in December 1966]; Everybody Needs Somebody To Love [# 19 R&B/# 29 Hot 100 in March 1967]; and I Found A Love (Part 1), which finished at # 8 R&B/# 32 Hot 100 in May 1967. It was a re-working of a # 6 R&B/# 75 Hot 100 hit he was part of back in 1962 while the lead singer with The Falcons And Band (Ohio Untouchables).

The summer of 1967 saw a double-sided hit when Soul Dance Number Three made it to # 10 R&B/# 55 Hot 100 b/w You Can't Stand Alone which rose to # 26 R&B/# 70 Hot 100 - neither included here, followed in September by his second-best Pop crossover ever, Funky Broadway, which peaked at # 1 R&B/# 8 Hot 100.

Then came the above-mentioned Stag-O-Lee/I'm In Love combination, followed by a pattern of solid Top 40 R&B/Hot 100 hits mixed with the odd one here and there that barely made the charts. Everything else in this volume, however, was a Top 30, including his interpretation of The Beatles' classic Hey Jude [# 13 R&B/# 23 Hot 100 in early 1969].

Sadly, Wilson passed away on January 19, 2006 at age 65, but not before seeing himself elected to the R&R Hall of Fame in 1991. Easily one of THE most important soul singers/songwriters of that era, and if you don't wish to spring for the more expensive 2-CD Rhine set, this is your best bet.

hearing this set takes me back to a time of real R-N-B.this man has so much energy and power in his voice.you can hear him taking charge of the material with force.hearing the horns,guitars,bass,drums,pianos and the voice that is solid.he is a true soul Giant.

I ordered this CD after the death of Wilson Pickett to have a lasting memory of him. I have several of his LP and 45 records. This CD captured the most popular recordings of "Wicked Pickett." The tunes are excellent for driving music or for just sitting back, patting your foot and remembering back in the day!

After learning of Wilson Pickett's passing, my thoughts had returned to my teenage years and how his music had made me feel and other happenings during this period in my life. I remember the good times and decided I wanted to have something to help remember them. "Mustang Sally" was always a favorite with memories of those "hot" chicks of my youth and tight sweaters. "Land of a thousand Dances" was also a favorite for all the dances that I attended of which this was a favorite to dance to.

And I did! I brought this CD with me to a weekend get away with my buddies in Aspen, CO. We all have roots in the Detroit area so this CD was not only a treat to listen to, but brought back many happy memories of growing up together in Motwon. Unfortunately I forgot to take it out of the player upon leaving. So what did I do I bought it again. I hope the next guests at the condo we stayed at enjoyed the Wicked Mr. Pickett as much as we did.

Although not all of the songs original. They sound great. I love his versions of Hey Jude and Sugar Sugar better than the original. Funky Broadway and In the Midnight Hour are masterpeices of song writting. The CD makes Pickett rank up their with the greatest Rock 'n' Roll artists.

Good music.... liked it very much specially Mustang Sally... i gifted it to my friend who just bought Mustang...and he was happy to receive it too.