Booker T. Jones was so taken with the Beatles' Abbey Road, he claims he had to respond, just to say "thanks." He convened the MG's -- drummer Al Jackson Jr., bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, and guitarist Steve Cropper, and recorded McLemore Avenue, a cover version of the entire Abbey Road album in three long medleys (that approximated the structure of the Beatles' album -- particularly its second side) with a cover of George Harrison's "Something" set aside as a single. The MG's even aped the Beatles' cover photo, with one of them strolling down McLemore Avenue, the home of Stax Records. Booker T. & the MG's turned an already hip record into one that was funky as hell, and one that kept listeners guessing by rearranging the order of the tunes to suit the MG's as a band. The set begins with a medley of "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End/Here Comes the Sun/Come Together." The juxtaposition of the first two cuts is jarring but seamless. The quartet nails "The End," with fine soloing from Cropper and heated work from Jones on organ and electric piano, before a crescendo and a Moog intros "Here Comes the Sun," done as a summery Jimmy Smith-styled jazz number before turning all sinister on "Come Together." "Something" may have seemed a curious choice for a single, but with Cropper's greasy, bluesy guitar break and Jones playing his organ rhythmically more than melodically, it works beautifully. "Because," wedded to "You Never Give Me Your Money," is a spacious blend of melody and psychedelic groove, setting up the final medley. It is the set's tour de force, commencing with a shimmering "Sun King," before Jackson's drums announce a sprightly, funky "Mean Mr. Mustard" that careens into the guitar overdrive of "Polythene Pam" and the breezy "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," which morphs into a dramatic, blues-drenched, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" to close it out. Not only is McLemore Avenue a stellar interpretation of Abbey Road, it's one of the finest Booker T. & the MG's albums to boot.
McLemore Avenue
01. Medley: Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End/Here Comes the Sun/Come Together
02. Something
03. Medley: Because/You Never Give Me Your Money
04. Medley: Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window/I Want You (She's So Heavy)
BONUS TRACKS
05. You Can't Do That
06. Day Tripper
07. Michelle
08. Eleanor Rigby
09. Lady Madonna
10. You Can't Do That [Alternate Take] - (previously unreleased)
Thanks Diemitrich for the unknown band. Great that you also indicated the discogs page. There are cheap copies to buy.
ReplyDeleteThat a Russian band could recommend me one day that i don't know that i never could not have imagined.
ReplyDeleteDiemitrich i would be happen if you could give me some clarification.
ReplyDeleteI don't know anything for sure and i am almost entirely dependent in guesswork. As far as i know the people knew almost nothing about this music scene in the Sovietunion. They had to be happy if they could get a Beatles records. Changed so quickley with the collaps of communismus and the advent of the internet.? Or did it start a little earlier,for example with Glasnost?
Maybe i'm wrong ?
How was that for you ?
This is considered a classic. thank you for posting so we can finally get around to listening to it!
ReplyDeleteEstoy sin palabras, bueno, mucho buen género.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteCould you please make this one available again for download?
Thanks
Thank you
ReplyDeleteMore Booker T.. Thank You
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for making this one available for download!