I love Memphis soul music. This is a nasty, greasy mix of full-on funk, R&B, and soul ripped out by some masters in Memphis. These cats played with Isaac Hayes, Booker T and the M.G.'s, and sat in on Stax sessions. I just can't get enough Hammond B3 organ. They throw down the jams live to tape and we get to listen in. If you want some music that feels like late 60s music updated for today - this is your stuff. This music makes me want to smoke up some ribs and have friends over. This is classic Memphis sound, but fresher and updated.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Tracks: They're all good, but my picks are Coming Home Baby and Doin' it to Death. I think My Country Loves Me is supposed to be a political song, but the vocals are hard to understand because of all the alterations done to them. It's out of place as the only ballad on the disc, but I Remember Stax is well done.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This CD was recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis (which explains the title). When my family traveled to Memphis in 2007, we visited the rebuilt Stax studios and I knew that Royal studios was just a few blocks away. The fam piled into the minivan and we headed over to the studio, which is not a tourist attraction and is stuck in the middle of a residential area. But I was this close and I had to see where Al Green records. Once we found it, I put the minivan in park and was about to get out to take some pictures when I noticed some of the neighborhood drug dealers walking towards me. We got out of there as quickly as we could. Just because I didn't exactly fit into that neighborhood doesn't mean I can't enjoy the music that comes from there.
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