at the Warfield Friday June 25th
SOUL music, STAX/PHILLY sound, GREAT vocals, solid brass section.
the entire CD is GREAT! check out my favorites.
From the notes:
Their fourth album produced by Bosco Mann and recorded in its entirety on an old Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records’ House of Soul studios, the record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax Records. Sharon’s voice, never stronger, evokes at once the raw power of Tina Turner, the moaning soulfulness of Mavis Staples, the rhythmic swagger of James Brown, and the melodic command of Aretha. From the lush Philly-soul fanfare that ushers in “The Game Gets Old” at the top of the record, to the stripped down Sam Cooke style “Mama Don¹t Like My Man” at the tail, the band dances seamlessly through both the most crafted and simple arrangements with subtlety and discipline. This is the “Daptone Sound” at its finest and is a welcome breath of fresh air. But most of all, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ I Learned the Hard Way is a celebration of, and a testament to, the soulful and beautiful possibilities of music.
1: 3:55 slow, lush orchestration
****2: 3:47 mid tempo, GREAT vocal & chorus
3: 3:40 mid tempo, nice soul claps
4: 3:22 nice Motown sound.
****5: 3:22 screaming "Money"
6: 2:20 mid tempo Instrumental
7: 4:35 spoken word intro
****8: 2:35 mid to faster, great vocals, nice guitar, great melody & Rhythm
9: 3:48 slower to mid, great melody, wall of brass
****10: 2:45 pounding rhythm, great vocals
****11: 3:00 slow but haunting
****12: 2:31 a Sam cooke cover "Mama Don't Like My Man"
D  Farrell 06/2010