"Born Under A Bad Sign" by ALBERT KING - August 1967 US LP on Stax Records in Stereo (June 2013 USA/UK/EU Concord Music Group 'Stax Remasters' Expanded Edition CD Reissue - Joe Tarantino Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Hard Luck And Trouble…"

I’ve been collecting and reviewing this “Stax Remasters” series since they first started to appear in May 2011 - and this is only release number 9 – but what a belter it is.

USA released June 2013 - "Born Under A Bad Sign" by ALBERT KING on Stax/Concord Music Group STCX-34334-02 (Barcode 888072343344) offers his 1967 Stax LP Remastered onto CD plus Five Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks and is part of their "Stax Remasters" Series (see list below, all reviewed). 

With the same release date and pictured above - the UK/EU released CD variant for "Born Under A Bad Sign" by Albert King is on Stax/Concord Music Group/Universal Music Group International 0888072343344 (Barcode 888072343344) and it breaks down as follows (47:00 minutes):

1. Born Under A Bad Sign [Side 1]

2. Crosscut Saw

3. Kansas City

4. Oh, Pretty Woman

5. Down Don't Bother Me

6. The Hunter

7. I Almost Lost My Mind [Side 2]

8. Personal Manager

9. Laundromat Blues

10. As The Years Go Passing By

11. The Very Thought Of You

Tracks 1 to 11 are the album "Born Under A Bad Sign" – released August 1967 in the USA on Stax Records S-723 (no UK release)

BONUS TRACKS (All Previously Unreleased):

12. Born Under A Bad Sign (Take 1 – Alternate)

13. Crosscut Saw (Take 1 – Alternate)

14. The Hunter (Take 1 – Alternate)

15. Personal Manager (Take 15 – Alternate)

16. Untitled Instrumental

The 16-page booklet has typically insightful and fun liner notes from Chicago's resident Blues and R 'n' B writing genius BILL DAHL – a man whose talent and passion for the music has graced literally hundreds of reissues and major Box Sets. The pages that follow Dahl reproduce Michael Point's observations from the 2002 CD reissue – then the original liner notes on the back of the 1967 LP - and finally musician and reissue credits. JOE TARANTINO has handled the remaster (as he has for the whole "Stax Remasters" series) and it's superb – full of life and clarity. There's hiss (as there always is on Stax sessions) – but it doesn't detract from the listen – if anything – it feels more live-in-your-living-room for it.

"Born Under A Bad Sign" opens with that title track winner (surely his signature tune) and follows it with another – "Crosscut Saw". Real fast you notice the tight and uber cool band – Stax House players BOOKER T & THE M.G.'s (Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Al Jackson, Jr and Booker T. Jones) themselves backed up by the fabulous MEMPHIS HORNS (Wayne Jackson, Andrew Love and Joe Arnold). It's as classic Stax Blues as you can get (Soul too). "Kansas City" still sounds slightly out of place but "The Hunter" turned FREE on and "Personal Manager" is just genius. Unappreciated gems include his cover of Fenton Robinson's "As The Years Go Passing By" and his barroom bluesy take on the crooner classic "The Very Thought Of You" (a 1934 classic).

With the CD having only 47:00 minutes playing time – the 7" single edit of "Personal Manager" (which excludes Albert's guitar solo) could easily have been tagged on – especially as it's actually one of the best tracks on here. But what we do get is a genuine thrill for King fans – a unreleased take. You can see why it was canned though – it runs a tad too fast and looses that fabulous Bluesy feel the master take has. And I love the song’s slyly salacious lyrics "...I want to be your milk man every morning…and your ice-cream man when the day is through…" In fact the other Take 1 Alternates are brilliantly recorded – really clear – you can hear he's getting a feel for the songs but the power on each is there – right from the start. Even the short but untitled 'instrumental' is a winner.

Great stuff – and a must buy…

CD Titles in the "STAX REMASTERS" series are (all reviewed):

1. Green Onions - BOOKER T. & THE M.G.s (1962) 
3 September 2012 UK CD on Barcode 888072339606

2. McLemore Avenue - BOOKER T. & THE M.G.s (1970)
10 May 2011 UK CD on Barcode 888072328747

3. Woman To Woman - SHIRLEY BROWN (1975)
13 September 2011 UK CD on Barcode 888072331778 

4. Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get - THE DRAMATICS (1972)
13 September 2011 UK CD on Barcode 888072331761

5. Born Under A Bad Sign – ALBERT KING (1967)
June 2013 UK CD on Barcode 888072343344

6. I'll Play The Blues For You - ALBERT KING (1972)
22 May 2012 UK CD on Barcode 888072337169 

7. Be Altitude: Respect Yourself - THE STAPLE SINGERS (1972)
10 May 2011 UK CD on Barcode 888072328761

8. Taylored In Silk - JOHNNIE TAYLOR (1973)
10 May 2011 UK CD on Barcode 888072328754

9. Do The Funky Chicken - RUFUS THOMAS (1970)
13 September 2011 UK CD on Barcode 888072331785

PPS: For those who want to delve deeper into 60ts and 70ts Soul on both Stax and Atlantic Records and are perhaps willing to flash the cash - check out my in-depth review for the October 2012 "Atlantic Soul Legends" set. It's a European made Mini Box Set on WEA Music/Warner Music France/Rhino 8122797264 (Barcode 0081227972646) that contains '20 Original Albums' in Mini LP Card Sleeves and Remasters. "Green Onions" is entry number two amongst them (after Ray Charles and before Solomon Burke). Also including cool types like Donny Hathaway, Sam Dees and Howard Tate - "Atlantic Soul Legends" sells for under £35 and is a stunning little beast most haven't noticed...

"Running Water" by CLARENCE REID (October 2012 Japan-Only 'Atlantic 1000 R&B Best Collection' CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…If It Was Good Enough For Daddy…"

I first stumbled on Clarence Reid through a writing credit - "Clean Up Woman" by Betty Wright - a fabulous slice of funky Seventies Soul that Reid co-wrote with Willie Clarke (the song was an American Number 2 and Number 6 on the R&B and Pop charts). Producers and Writers Steve Alamo and Willie Clarke first recorded that smash at their Miami based Alston Records label with Willie 'Little Beaver' Hale in attendance. And that's where this CD reissue comes in (it was recorded by the same trio in Miami). Here are the details...

Released October 2012 in Japan - "Running Water" by CLARENCE REID on Alston/Atlantic 1000 R&B Best Collection/Warner Brothers Japan WPCR-27542 (Barcode 081227970321) is a straightforward CD transfer of the American album originally released on Alston Records SD-7027 in 1973 (36:18 minutes):

1. Living Together Is Keeping Us Apart [Side 1]

2. New York City

3. If It Was Good Enough For My Daddy

4. Real Woman

5. Please Accept My Call

6. The Truth [Side 2]

7. Ruby

8. Love Who You Can

9. Please Stay Home

10. Like Running Water

The Japanese CD Series "Atlantic 1000 R&B Best Collection" first appeared in October and November 2012 and has been ongoing ever since (there's now a whopping 250+ titles across every WEA label, genre and time frame). The '1000' in the title refers to their price code - each features a budget price tag of 952 Yen which (depending on exchange rates) is roughly $9 to $11 for US customers, £5.50 to £7.50 for UK buyers and 8 to 9.20 Euros for Europeans (with P&P added on of course). As of early 2015 - roughly speaking they weigh in between £5 to £10 sterling per title including post - which is the cheapest I've seen quality Japanese CDs ever go for.

And what's really enticing is that all issues feature 2012, 2013 and 2014 Digital Remastering (DSD) with many titles reissued that are either entirely new to CD or have been long out of print and due sonic upgrades. Each release comes in a standard jewel case (not mini repro sleeves nor SHMs) with an inner booklet (10-pages on this one) containing the English lyrics. There's the usual outer Obi strip and an essay in Japanese (no liner notes nor other details). The CD label design will usually mimic the original release too (the Alston logo here). Some (like this one) even appear to have a EU release - this title is catalogue number 8122-79703-2 as opposed to the more usual WPCR code...

After "Clean Up Woman" - I then heard what is probably his most popular track "If It's Good Enough For Daddy" on the "Right On Volume 4" CD compilation in 2002 and again on the fabulous Rhino 4CD Box Set "What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves From The Vaults..." from 2006. You can so hear why they chose it - cool, funky and even funny in places - a hip cut if ever there was one. The album is not all like that slick and slinky tale of sibling loverman - tracks like "Please Accept My Call" and "New York City" are straight up Soul - very Johnny Taylor or Don Covay.

Reid gives it a bit of deep-voiced Gil-Scott Heron righteousness in "The Truth" (again co-written with Willie Clarke) where he preaches, "it seems everyone is afraid of the truth..." Upbeat and dancer-friendly "Ruby" was put out in 1973 as a 45 on Alston 4613 - but for me the hidden album nugget is the impossibly catchy  "Love Who You Can". It features a great guitar-flick backbeat by Little Beaver accompanied by brass punctuations and lyrics about "girls always chasin' guys with millions...when the guy next door...will give you the whole wide world..." The suicide song "Please Stay Home" is a Clarence Carter talker and hasn't dated at all well. Better is the finisher "Like Running Water" which returns he faith.

It's not all genius by any means - but the good stuff is kind of magical. Reid would later become Blowfly the outspoken American comedian with a line in rude-crude (you can so hear some of that racy humour in "Daddy"). A very cool CD-reissue and for a Japanese import - it's cheaper than a palimony suit too. Yeah baby...

PS: I've posted a full list of all 255 titles in the Series to January 2015 - just Google "Atlantic 1000 R&B Best Collection"...

"The Fame Singles Volume 2 – 1970-73" by CLARENCE CARTER (October 2013 Ace/Kent Soul CD Compilation of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...If Samson Had Kept His Head..."

I love Clarence Carter to pieces – have done for decades - his 60ts Soul was the utter business - and in 2018 still is. But this second CD volume from Ace Records of the UK of Carter’s 7” singles for Fame Records will test even the most ardent fan - because like him or not - there is some truly awful crap on here. Let’s get details out of the way first...

UK released 28 Oct 2013 - “The Fame Singles Volume 2 – 1970-73” by CLARENCE CARTER on Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 407 (Barcode 029667240727) is a 22-Track CD Compilation of New Remasters and plays out as follows (65:17 minutes):

1. Patches [Mono]

2. Say It One More Time [Mono]

3. It’s All In Your Mind

4. Till I Can’t Take It Anymore

5. The Court Room

6. Getting The Bills (But No Merchandise) [Mono]

7. Slipped, Tripped And Fell In Love

8. I Hate To Love And Run

9. Scratch My Back (And Mumble In My Ear)

10. I’m The One

11. If You Can’t Beat ‘Em

12. Lonesomest Lonesome

13. Back In Your Arms [Mono]

14. Holdin’ Out (On My Baby)

15. Put On Your Shoes And Walk

16. I Found Somebody New [Mono]

17. Mother-In-Law

18. Sixty Minute Man [Mono]

19. I’m The Midnight Special [Mono]

20. I’ve Got Another Woman [Mono]

21. Love’s Trying To Come To You [Mono]

22. Heartbreak Woman [Mono]

Collectors will note that many of these American 45s were issued in MONO – so they are making their CD debut here. But for me the compilation doesn't really pick up until nearly 9 tracks in when "I Have To Love And Run" on Atlantic 2818 comes to save the day. The duet with CANDI STATON on "If You Can't Beat Us" is not bad either (lyrics above). But then we get schlock like "Lonesomest Lonesome" where he literally uses "crying into my cornflakes" as lyrics. Oh dear...

The booklet with liner notes by DEAN RUDLAND is the usual classy presentation from Ace and the sound quality of the remaster by NICK ROBBINS is superlative - I just wish the listen was as joyful as Volume 1 - instead of being a chore.

Unless you're a fan of his 1970's fall from grace - I'd look for the first 3 albums from 1968 and 1969 instead. "This Is" (Amazon reference B008PVDA2G), "Dynamic" (B008PVDA5S) and "Testifyin'" (B008PVD8SM) have all been reissued in Japan under the "Atlantic 1000: Best R&B Collection" series. They're 2012 DSD remasters and chock full of quality Sixties Soul in stunning sound quality (see my three reviews for Joe Turner to get a list) and retailing at under eight quid in most cases - they're absolute bargains. There's also Volume 1 of this which is an altogether better listen (see my review).

One to avoid I'm afraid because there is so much better elsewhere...