Rufus Thomas - The Very Best Of (2007)

''I'm young and loose and full of juice
I got the goose so what's the use?''

Instant party: just add this CD. I was in the mood for some soul music this morning, and Rufus Thomas, a.k.a "The World’s Oldest Teenager," and "The Crown Prince Of Dance," gets the nod. He could do it all: R&B, soul, funk, and blues. Thomas might be most famous for his "dog" series of songs from the early '60s. Recording for the incomparable STAX label, his hit, The Dog, came out in February 1963. That was followed in November of that year by Walking The Dog which was then followed by Can Your Monkey Do The Dog in early '64. The Dog finally ran its course that April, when Somebody Stole My Dog was released. This CD contains 20 of Thomas's STAX singles from 1963-1975. While Thomas writes most of the music himself, he's also got some help from Memphis legends Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes. This is a first-rate compilation with excellent liner notes from STAX historian Rob Bowman. In 1998, Thomas was finally made part of Beale Street itself with the renaming of one of its cross-streets, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, the year of his death.

Tracks: My favorite Thomas tune is Memphis Train. Other highlights include any of the 4 Dog songs, Sophisticated Sissy, (Do the) Push and Pull (Part 1), and Do The Funky Chicken. But there's not a skippable track on the disc - they're all good, even the silly stuff.

Song	Year	Hot 100	R&B
The Dog	1963	87	22
Walking The Dog	1963	10	5
Can Your Monkey Do The Dog	1964	48	-
Somebody Stole My Dog	1964	86	-
Jump Back	1964	49	-
Little Sally Walker	1965	-	-
Sister's Got A Boyfriend	1967	-	-
Sophisticated Sissy	1967	-	43
Memphis Train	1968	-	-
Funky Mississippi	1968	-	-
Do The Funky Chicken	1969	28	5
Sixty Minute Man (part 2)	1970	-	42
The Preacher And The Bear	1970	-	-
(Do The) Push And Pull (Part 1)	1970	25	1
The World Is Round	1971	-	34
The Breakdown (Part 1)	1971	31	2
Do The Funky Penguin (Part 1)	1971	44	11
6-3-8	1972	-	-
Boogie Ain't Nuthin' (But Gettin' Down) (Part 1)	1974	-	63
Do The Double Bump	1975	-	74

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I love Memphis and Memphis soul music - I'm planning another pilgrimage to Memphis next month. I became a fan of Thomas after my friend Jim recommended the 1989 Jim Jarmusch film, Mystery Train, to me. Thomas has a cameo role in the movie and his version of Memphis Train appears on the soundtrack. I highly recommend the movie. Any and all of Jarmusch's films are excellent.