Album Review: Various Artists - Stax Revue: Live in 65!

Various Artists

Stax Revue: Live in 65!

**** out of *****

Craft Records has reissued a monumental soul collection, Stax Revue: Live in 65! The re-mastered release showcases legends of the Stax label including Booker T. & The M.G.'s, Carla Thomas, The Mar-Keys, The Astors, David Porter, William Bell, Wendy Rene, The Mad Lads, Wilson Pickett, and Rufus Thomas.

 
Originally released in 1991, this reissue adds some songs to the collection, highlighting two shows from August 1965, one at the Club Paradise in Memphis, Tennessee and one at South LA’s 5-4 Ballroom in California. The legendary label brought their stars out to play live and deliver the goods with passion. 

Things start out in the labels hometown of Memphis and the vibe is loose. The house band Booker T and the MG's kick things off with their most famous jam "Green Onions" and the group is revved up from the get go as the tasty treat cooks. "Boot-Leg" is even better, an album highlight, with meaty heavy bass, cutting guitar lines and sweet sax. "Summertime" is a slow showcase for both Booker and Steve Cropper while "Soul Twist" bops along but the band goes a bit long with this one. 

David Porter mixes up things with slow torch songs as both "Just Be True" and "Can't See You When I Want To" are soul burners while "I'll Be Doggone" and "Out of Sight" are rockers that run a bit ragged in garage rocking fashion. Wendy Rene closes out the Memphis show with the banging party anthem "Bar-B-Q" that hits hard on the bass and drums as the crowd chants along in fun fashion. 

The soul revue shifts to the West Coast for the second disk of this release and things seem tighter from the jump. The Mar-Keys explode out with a fast and furious take on "Last Night" while William Bell delivers the soul goods on "Any Other Way" and the raw crowd favorite "You Don't Miss Your Water". 

Carla Thomas brings some bright singing and a lithe bounce to things during "Every Ounce of Strength" but the real special moments arrive at the end of the LA show. Wilson Pickett blows the roof off of the 5-4 Ballroom with a dynamite version of "In The Midnight Hour", screaming and howling with cackling energy. Rufus Thomas gets funky with "Walk The Dog" before Booker T and the MG's stretch things out with Thomas (who growls and teaches the dance), ending the album with a 19 minute jam, "The Dog", which is a smile inducing ride. 

Not everything from the shows works perfectly. The mics for doo-wop focused group The Astors, miss some vocal lines in Memphis, and the singers are overpowered in LA by the band, in general those acts work better in the studio. The Mad Lads "Don't Have To Shop Around" was a hit during this era, but drags here and the intro/outro music in LA becomes a bit redundant. Overall, the two shows do move with a crisp flow as the MC keeps things going.

A historical slice of sixties soul Stax Revue: Live in 65! is a great time capsule that is worth revisiting often.       

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