Wicked Pickett

Wilson Pickett | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 17, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collectables
• ASIN: B000BPPVP8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,497 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

His 1966 Atlantic classic, back in print and ready to scorch you with searing soul songs and ballads all over again! Yes, this is the one with the song just about every band tries at one time or another, Mustang Sally , plus Three Time Loser; You Left the Water Running; She Ain't Gonna Do Right; Nothing You Can Do , and more prime Pickett.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Prime Pickett, - But Buyer Beware!, February 22, 2006

By 

J P Ryan (Waltham, Massachusetts United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wicked Pickett (Audio CD)

Wilson Pickett, who died last month at age 64, was one of the most dynamic, exuberant, and compelling soul singers of his generation. At his creative and commercial peak he recorded a dozen albums for Atlantic (including two hits compilations - and I'm not counting two various artist sets that each featured a pair of riveting Pickett live performances), released during 1964 - 72, when he left the label for a rather misguided period at RCA that, along with changing popular tastes, led his career to nosedive. But those Atlantic albums (which in the beginning included some earlier material, dating as far back as the Falcons' 1961 "I Found A Love") are all worthwhile, ranging from very good to classic. "The Wicked Pickett" is Pickett's third for the label, a terrific set mostly recorded at Rick Hall's Fame Studios in October 1966. As such it has a consistancy of feel lacking in some of the artist's more randomly compiled (but still worthwhile) sets, like the debut "In The Midnight Hour" or 1968's "Midnight Mover." With Hall and Tom Dowd overseeing a core band that includes Chips Moman, Roger Hawkins, Spooner Oldham, and Tommy Cogbill (the horn section includes Floyd Newman and Charles Chalmers) the emphasis is on deep Southern soul, slinky mid-tempo funk and the occasional rave-up. The hits include the immortal 'Mustang Sally' and a revved up 'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love'. 'Sunny', the suave Bobby Hebb hit, is the wild card, but Pickett's version works, and as always it is a pleasure to hear the artist's distinctive, blistering take on New Orleans r & b (Jessie Hill's 'Ooh Poo Pah Do' and Gary "U.S." Bond's slinky 'New Orleans') - Pickett transforms the usually relaxed, laconic character that typifies the city's r & b and funk. Perhaps the most curious thing about Pickett's third Atlantic album is the lack of any original material - Pickett was a prolific and underrated songwriter - but as he'd soon be back to penning many of his own songs this fact warrants a mere aside.
"The Wicked Picket" captures Pickett in his stride, and the four star rating - as opposed to five - is for the questionable CD version listed first on Amazon. I bought it and found that this European import (not identified as such in the product information) contains a meticulous transfer of what must be an old 'fake stereo' master: dissatisfied with the less than punchy-sound, I isolated each speaker and discovered the left channel to be transistor-radio thin, with a blurry low end fog emaninating from the right channel. The unacceptable
practice of 'simulating stereo' mostly went out with the '60s. Fortunately, perhaps, Collectables recently reissued this gem and having just ordered a copy I can only hope the label used a true stereo - or mono - master. Collectables is hardly noted for its sensitivity to sonic nuance (or original packaging - you get the front cover and a coupon for the label's catalog, with no annotation, notes or remastering credits), but they have improved somewhat in recent years. The label seems to have taken over from Rhino in reissuing much of Pickett's Atlantic catalog. Too bad, for the best produced Pickett on CD remain Rhino's 1995 remasters of two classics, "I'm In Love" (1968) and "In Philadelphia" (1970) - both sound superb, warm and detailed, and feature excellent notes and worthwhile bonus tracks. Now out of print, these editions are definitive if you can find them at a reasonable price. With the tragic death of this great artist, we still don't have the state of the art restoration, with bonus material, and serious attention to quality that Chronicles has given (say) James Brown's sprawling catalog, or that Sundazed routinely gives its splendid reissues (the latter label's complete set of Meters albums on CD, or their 180 gram vinyl Otis Redding series, are exemplary). Amazingly, some of Pickett's Atlantic albums (and single sides) have at this late date still not been issued on CD, and that is truly a shame.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the one and only, January 16, 2006

By 

Tony Mowatt - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wicked Pickett (Audio CD)

While there are some largely forgettable Wilson Pickett records out there - 'Pickett in the Pocket' and 'Miz Lena's Boy' for examaple- his entire Atlantic catalog is impeccable. This album features many of the seminal southern soul sidemen such as the great Jimmy Johnson on guitar and the equally superb Roger Hawkins, the drummer on numerous soul and R&B hits such as 'I'll Take You There'.
The obvious highlight is 'Mustang Sally' but the oft covered 'You Left the Water Running' is equally as good. Don Covay's 'Three Time Loser' is justly placed on his double LP greatest hits. Pickett also scorches 'Knock On Wood' and really nails the great Laura Lee ballad, 'Up Tight Good Woman'. Also his version of 'Sunny'is pretty cool. There's some filler on this but hey, it's still Wilson Pickett with a great band.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible surprise, January 1, 2010

By 

Quicicasco (Colorno,Italy) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wicked Pickett (Audio CD)

"The wicked Pickett" is a masterpiece of this great R&B shouter.But this CD edition is really bad.On the right channel a distant,muddy music,Wilson is singing in another room...in the left channel,sometimes,a thin chorus.Fake lightweight stereo.I have 9 out of 12 songs in "Wilson Pickett greatest hits" and "Greatest hits vol.2" and the difference is enormous.I have spent money for a big mistake.