Booker T & The MGs were soul legends by 1971, producing many hits not only for themselves but also for many other bands in the Stax empire. But all was not well. Keyboard star Booker T. Jones moved to California, tired of the atmosphere, and changed his approach to the Memphis label. Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper founded his own studio. Soul was changing, mainstream funk and Philadelphia were joining in, and the album was hidden from the streets for several years . Even smaller bands, including New Orleans' The Meters, Atlanta's The Counts and Detroit's SOUL, had something to say about big soul. GM has had to adapt to maintain its status quo. Recorded in New York and released in January 1971 on The Melting Pot , they changed from top to bottom, keeping the cool routine but allowing it to expand. There were no covers, just pure funk and soul. Heck, they even looked tough and serious on the sleeves. The results were amazing.
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Their intentions were clear from the name itself. His sharp, crunchy beats go full-on funky when Booker T's organ tune kicks in, and he mixes multiple genres over eight minutes while maintaining some rhythmic dance moves. Organ jazz, soul, spaghetti western, which the group previously offered on the Hang'Em High soundtrack, southern rock... all in one expression. The name "melting cauldron" was not given by chance. The tune was big enough for several remakes, notably Boris Gardiner and Underground Vegetables, but the original reigned supreme.
"Back Home" sounds like something the Crusaders might do, and knowingly or not, that's probably why it's called that, since "Way Back Home" was one of the band's most popular tracks. Still, "Back Home" is slippery and raw, settling into a bluesy, almost drunken section for the first minute before exploding loud and proud again. This is much more limited than the Crusades offer. "Chicken Pox" is simply an acknowledgment, positive or otherwise, that Miters has taken the trait given in "Chicken Strut" and seriously infected it. The Native American "Fukawi" has his head low like a horse, strong and proud.
Side two of the Melting Pot vinyl edition opens with another eight-minute epic, "Kinda Easy Like," the delicate brass that made the band famous for "Green Onions," "Hip Hug Her" and more. But the minor vocals give the song a jazzier feel than the mid-'60s, and Booker's mastery of his instrumental stops adds subtle color. The short "High Ride" sounds like a mid-'60s bar-case instrumental, but Cropper's guitar gives it a country feel and the chord changes are pure pop. "LA Jazz Song" combines two themes, the "melting pot" beat and the "hip hug her" intro, before Cropper returns on vocals for the big chorus in stunning fashion. Al Jackson and the Ducks blaze through the drums and bass in the right quiet section. Just when you think you've heard it all, Steve Cropper delivers the closing tune "Sunny Monday" that you'd expect from Gordon Lightfoot, with a touch of Mason Williams' "Classic Gas" before Booker adds warm piano. - The department appeared in a party search. It's of its time, ambitious, big and massive... from Booker T and the MG, masters of moderation. Indeed
And that was it for now for Booker T and the MGs. The same year saw the light single "Jamaica, This Morning", which did little. Booker's excellent production and arrangement essentially made Bill Withers a star; In 1973, the MGs released an album without their former leader, and a 1975 reunion was cut short when the great Al Jackson was killed. The team meets periodically to work on different projects. But in the melting pot they gave their last words. It resonated with everything he did, he added things that no one knew could be done and made them completely modern; Even today, almost five decades later, it is still relevant. The melting pot may be old, but it still makes perfect soul food.
Melting pot can be bought here.
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