- Wilson Pickett (RIP 2006) -- vocals

- The Soul Clan

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Title:  The Wicked Pickett

Company: Atlantic

Catalog: 8138

Year: 1966

Country/State: Prattville, Alabama

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: mono pressing; "George" written in magic marker on front cover; two inch split along top right hand edge' "Mustang Sally" promotional sticker on cover (not shown in picture above)

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4175

Price: $35.00

All hyperbole aside, 1966's "The Wicked Pickett" is nothing less than a classic slice of 1960s soul - one of the few albums I'd award five stars.  Produced by Jerry Wexler and Rick Hall with backing from the cream of Muscles Shoals sessions players, including Chips Moman on lead guitar, Spooner Oldham on keyboards and Roger Hawkins on drums, Wilson Pickett seldom sounded as good.  Always a charismatic performer, here Pickett  literally sounded possessed as he wailed, screeched and groaned his way through the album's twelve tracks.  How can you go wrong with the combination of great production, wonderful songs; and some simply stunning performances?  I dare anyone to try sitting still through Pickett's cover of 'New Orleans', or the blazing 'You Left the Water Running without at least starting to tap their feet  ...  Interestingly, compared to Pickett's last couple of albums, the LP wasn't a smash, peaking at # 42 on the pop charts.  That said, Pickett still enjoyed a pair of top-40 hits via:

'Mustang Sally' b/w 'Three Time Loser' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2365) and a rave-up cover of Solomon Burke's

'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love' b/w 'Nothing You Can Do' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2381).   

"The Wicked Pickett" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) Mustang Sally   (Bonny Rice) - 3:04

2.) New Orleans   (Frank Guida) - 2:32

3.) Sunny   (Bobby Hebb) - 3:16

4.) Everybody Needs Somebody To Love   (Bert Berns - Solomon Burke - Jerry Wexler) - 2:16

5.) Ooh Poo Pah Doo   (Jessie Hill) - 2:37

6.) She Ain't Gonna Do Right   (Dan Penn - Linden Oldham) - 2:15

(side 2)

1.) Knock On Wood   (Eddy Floyd - Steve Cropper) - 2:40 

2.) Time Is On My Side   (Norman Meade) - 2:31

3.) Up Tight Good Woman   (Dan Penn - Linden Oldham) - 2:29

4.) You Left the Water Running   (Dan Penn - Rick Hall - Oscar Franck) - 2:31

5.) Three Time Loser   (Don Covay - Ronnie Miller) - 2:19

6.) Nothing You Can Do   (Bobby Womack) - 2:14

YouTube has a couple of dazzling performances of material from the LP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4bVAbqGh5Y

'Mustang Sally' at a 1968 German date

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bfrO5o0HQA&feature=related

'Mustang Sally' 1966 television appearance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9yIoVuUM-M

'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love' 1966 television appearance

Genre: soul

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Miz Lena's Boy

Company: RCA Victor

Catalog: APL1-0312

Country/State: Prattville, Alabama

Year: 1973

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: cut out notch lower right edge

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5586

Price: $20.00

When Wilson Pickett died in January 1, 2006 I was astounded to learn that he'd lived and died within five minutes of my home outside of Washington. D.C.   According to local newspaper articles, Pickett lived in a typical Northern Virginia suburban community, was liked by his neighbors, and between tours and performances, did what suburbanites do - cut the lawn, barbequed, etc.   Anyhow, when he passed on as kind of a personal tribute  I pulled a bunch of my Pickett albums and listened to them over the long holiday weekend.  Sitting in the pile was an album I'd somehow never gotten around to listening to - 1973's "Miz Lena's Boy".  

His second album for RCA Victor after ending his decade long partnership with Atlantic, the album found Wilson working with producer Brad Shapiro (Pickett co-produced).  With the pair also co-writing half of the ten songs I really didn't know what to expect from the set.  Moreover the few reviews I'd seen weren't very detailed, or positive.

- The album certainly got off to a rousing start with the Pickett-Shapiro original 'Take a Closer Look at the Woman You're With' which was as driving and funky as anything he'd done for Atlantic.  

- While I initially yawned at the thought of hearing the second song; a cover of Chuck Berry's 'Memphis, Tennessee' Wilson breathed new life into the song giving it a strange but beguiling Caribbean lilt.  Sounds weird, but somehow it worked.  

- The same was true for 'Soft Soul Boogie Woogie'.  It initially came off as being a too-cute novelty song, but propelled by a nice mini-moog rhythm pattern and a driving vocal, Pickett won me over.

- Kris Kristofferson's 'Help Me Make It Through the Night' has always been one of those songs I disliked and there was not reason to think a Pickett cover would save it.  Amazingly he almost pulled it off.  The song still sucks, but by going up tempo with it he came close to salvaging the track.

- In contrast slowing down the old Association hit (mis-credited to the Addrisse brothers - no 'e' at the end), was a mistake.  All he did is stretch 'Never My Mind' to the limits of endurance.

- Yeah, 'You Lay'd It On Me' had that 'tossed off' feel with one or two too many of those patented Pickett shrieks.  'Course mediocre Pickett was better than 95% of disco acts.

- At least to my ears 'Is Your Love Life Better' was one of the three tracks that came the closest to replicating Pickett's classic sound.  Would have made a nice single.

- The second song that replicated his classic soul sound was the Pickett-Shapiro composition 'Two Women and a Wife'.  With a great melody, catchy lyric, and dynamite performance, it was perfect for radio play, but somehow got stuck as a 'B' side.

- Pickett's always been in peak form when he was pissed off at a woman, or another man.  The last two tracks 'Why Don't You Make Your Mind Up' and 'Take the Pollution Out Your Throat' found him in that state of mind and were my two favorite efforts.  

- Another Wilson-Shapiro composition, the hyper speed 'Why Don't You Make Your Mind Up' would have sounded good on any of his Atlantic albums.

- I remember seeing the title of the second song and wondering if Pickett was making an environmental statement.  He wasn't, rather was taking on a trash-talking ex.  Classic pissed off Pickett !!!

Having listened to the album dozens of times I'm at a loss as to why critics overlooked the set and why it didn't sell better.  One of the best post-Atlantic things the man ever recorded.

RCA also tapped the album for a pair of singles:

- 1973's 'Take a Closer Look at the Woman You're With' b/w 'Two Women and a Wife' (RCA Victor catalog number APBO-0049)

- 1973's 'Soft Soul Boogie Woogie' b/w 'Take the Pollution Out of Your Throat' (RCA Victor catalog number APBO-0149)

"Miz Lena's Boy" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) Take a Closer Look at the Woman You're With   (Wilson Pickett - Brad Shapiro) - 2:52

2.) Memphis, Tennessee   (Chuck Berry) - 3:50

3,) Soft Soul Boogie Woogie   (Seals - Goodman - Jennings) - 2:37

4.) Help Me Make It Through the Night   (Kris Kristofferson) - 3:00

5.) Never My Love   (Don Addrisse - Dick Addrisse) - 4:26

(side 2)

1.) You Lay'd It On Me   (Wilson Pickett - Don Covay - Brad Shapiro) - 3:15

2.) Is Your Love Life Better   (Fox - Raleigh) - 3:15

3.) Two Women and a Wife   (Wilson Pickett - Brad Shapiro) - 2:45

4.) Why Don't You Make Your Mind Up   (Wilson Pickett - Brad Shapiro) - 2:45

5) Take the Pollution Out Your Throat   (Wilson Pickett - Brad Shapiro) - 2:45