May 1971 "Just As I Am" US Debut Album on Sussex Records
Superb Remaster Inside
"The Complete Sussex and Columbia Catalogue"
Sony/Legacy 9CD Box Set
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"...Sooth The Local Unwed Mother..."
Columbia have many world-class
box sets in their "Complete Album
Series" – but you'd have to say that this Bill Withers winner is just a
little bit more special than most. And with a thoroughly deserved Grammy win
under the belt - it's time to review the great Soul Man's legacy and his
magical debut too. Box Set details...
Released November 2012 in the
UK and USA - "The Complete Sussex And Columbia Albums" by BILL
WITHERS is a 9-CD Mini Box Set with a 40-page booklet on Sony Music/Legacy
88697894672 (Barcode 886978946720) with the debut album on CD1 as follows:
Disc 1 (35:37 minutes):
1. Harlem [Side 1]
2. Ain't No Sunshine
3. Grandma's Hands
4. Sweet Wanomi
5. Everybody's Talkin'
6. Do It Good
7. Hope She'll Be Happier
[Side 2]
8. Let It Be Me
9. I'm Her Daddy
10. In My Heart
11. Moanin' And Groanin'
12. Better Off Dead
Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut
album "Just As I Am" – released May 1971 on Sussex SXBS-7006 in the
USA and June 1971 on A&M/Sussex AMLS 65002 in the UK.
The attention to detail is
pleasing - the first 4 discs sport the Sussex label as per the original vinyl
albums while the following five have the red Columbia labels. "Still
Bill" has its 'opening doors' front sleeve while the double "Live At
Carnegie Hall" also has its original gatefold reproduced. Each card sleeve
is now bordered in white but it looks and feels classy (even if the print is
tiny). The chunky 40-page booklet doesn’t scrimp on detail either -
track-by-track annotation with photos of the albums, rare music press adverts,
liner notes by Michael Eric Dyson and even a letter from the great man himself
at the beginning about his long musical journey.
But the big news for fans is
the stunning new remastered sound carried out by a trio of engineers - MARK
WILDER for 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 with 1, 2 and 7 handled by JOSEPH M. PALMACCIO and
3 done by TOM RUFF. Original analogue master tapes have been used in all
transfers and what a job they’ve done. Right from the opening acoustic strum of
"Harlem" on his fabulous debut album "Just As I Am" and onto the gutsy pump of "Lonely Town, Lonely Street" which opens the equally brill follow up LP "Still
Bill" - the sound quality is truly glorious throughout. Beautiful feel - space
around the instruments - clarity - warm bass - not to over-trebled - it's a top
notch job done and makes you re-hear all those wonderful songs anew.
To the debut - two USA 45-singles
were released around the album - "Ain't No Sunshine" b/w
"Harlem" on Sussex 219 (June 1971 - originally issued in April 1971
with the same catalogue number - but with the tracks reversed) - and
"Grandma's Hands" b/w "Sweet Wanomi" on Sussex 227 (October
1971).
Britain had slightly
different configurations - "Everybody's Talkin'" b/w
"Harlem" on A&M Records AMS 845 (May 1971), "Ain't No
Sunshine" b/w "Harlem" on A&M Records AMS 858 (September
1971) and "Lean On Me" b/w "Better Off Dead" on A&M
Records AMS 7004 (August 1972) [the A-side is on the Sony Legacy CD of his 2nd
album "Still Bill"].
"Just As I Am" is
not so much Funky-Soul but more Folk-Soul - so a lot of the tracks have just
acoustic guitars and lots of air around them. I went through so many copies of
the (frankly dodgy) US Sussex LP and even the British A&M tan label
original and they were always good rather than great, and in some instances
hissy as Hell. Not so here. It hasn't been trebled to the nines for the sake of
it - it's just breathing.
And although you're not told on what tracks which
plays – we know guests include STEPHEN STILLS on Guitar, CHRIS ETHERIDGE of The
Flying Burrito Brothers is on Bass with three from BOOKER T & THE MG'S –
DONALD "Duck" DUNNE on Bass, AL JACKSON on Drums and BOOKER T. JONES himself on
Organ and Guitar (Produced and Arranged too).
Right from the off the
acoustic guitars and drums on "Harlem" are amazing - as are the
strings, soft bass and vocals on his masterful "Ain't No Sunshine" -
all so sweet. The fantastically personal and socially aware "Grandma's
Hands" still has the power to move (lyrics above) and it's a blast to
finally get unheard gems like "Hope She'll Be Happier", "I'm Her
Daddy" and "Moanin' And Groanin'" in top-notch sound quality. In
fact of the 12 tracks - Withers impressively wrote 10 - the two covers being
Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" (made famous by Nilsson in
"Midnight Cowboy") and a very nice uptempo soul take on The Beatles'
"Let It Be".
Favourites - I particularly love "Do It Good"
where the MG's play a blinder in terms of sheer slinky feel. And even though
the gunshot at the end of "Better Off Dead" is still too abrupt -
it's such a great tune. Yes folks. Love it. Love it. Love it.
Somehow like equal giants
Bobby Womack, Minnie Riperton and Donny Hathaway - Bill Withers has always been
the underdog of Soul - never spoken about in the same awe-struck tones that are
routinely given to Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding. In my book
he's always been right up there with the best of them - a world class Soul
Brother - and this ludicrously good mini CD box set is a way for us mere
mortals into that musical greatness that is now sadly gone.
"I loved that old
lady..." – a heartfelt Bill Withers told the audience as he introduced
his debut album gem "Grandma's Hands" on the 1973 "Live At Carnegie
Hall" double (it was already a classic two years after release). Well - we
feel the same about you mate. Beautiful and then some...
