Once a year I like to get hold of a good soul or funk album and make it my own. In recent years there have been a couple of Booker albums which have fit the bill and this year it looks like Galactic are going to take all the plaudits.
The album starts out in classic sloppy party jam mode with the instrumental 'Sugar Doosie'. It's all horn section and claps and there is a party going on in the room. 'Higher and Higher' features JJ Grey sounding like a pumped up Johnnie Taylor imploring us to take it higher and higher. 'Into The Deep' has Macy Gray on the mic and it is typical heart on sleeve stuff. Wounded and down tempo and the guitar follows when she goes into the deep.
'Dolla Diva' sounds like a single to me and I doubt it will be bettered by anyone this year. It's got so much balls you could almost call it a fighting song. It comes out swinging and it don't stop, egged on by fuzz bass and gritty riff. "It don't take much to get a rise out of me", David Shaw sings and I for one believe him. I would like to hear this cat again fo' sho' and Maggie Koerner plays her part as well.
'Long Live The Borgne' is The MG's with contemporary beef in the production values. I could listen to it all night long. 'Right On' features Ms. Charm Taylor and is modern day funk/soul in an Amy Winehouse kind of way. It's sassy. 'Domino' has Ryan Montblue in the booth and kind of smooths things out, hence the mid-album sequencing I expect? It has a touch of the big band crooner about it.
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'Buck 77' is just the band showing us what they can do and in my opinion they can do and they should do more of it. It's a heavy instrumental veering towards rock and the sweat is dripping off the walls. Nasty shit. 'Does It Really Make A Difference' features the legend (and in this case that is no understatement) Mavis Staples. It starts out with one of her throaty laughs and then she goes on to tell us exactly where we're all going wrong and what we should do to make it right. "Does it really make a difference? Who's holding on and who's letting go"?
'Chicken In The Corn' has someone called Brushy One String on it and if that's his real name I will eat my chicken raw with the feathers on. The guy is rough as guts and a touch of distortion brings that out well and truly. Cowbell stomper this one. 'Today's Blues' rounds things off nicely and is self-explanatory really. A modern slice of old soul. Beat this.
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