Friends, hold on to The Complete Stax/Volt Singers Collection. Squeeze it. Never leave it. After all, the best-known songs on Disc One alone are more than enough to make the case for Otis Redding You May Also Like: Otis Redding tried something new with ‘Dock of the Bay,’ even ifRead More

Playing an upside down Gibson Flying V, Albert King set about turning everything you thought you knew about the blues, about rock, and certainly about the left-handed guitarist himself on its head with this stunning Stax release. You May Also Like: Greg Lake compares this era to the one thatRead More

A sizzling outburst of lean pre-funk soul-rock, Green Onions introduced the world to the genre-jumping delights of Booker T, and the MGs. You May Also Like: Inside the naming of Booker T. and the MGs’ ‘Green Onions’ : ‘The stinking-est music I’ve ever heard!’ Booker T. and the MGs’ agelessRead More

If I was to make up a list of my favorite guitar players (and, thus, exposing myself to the Internet scourge known as GuitarFan™: You know the type. They blurt out things like “Where’s Slash?!!” and “Dimebag!” — think of it as a kind of Rock ‘n’ Roll Tourette’s) thenRead More

2011 brought its share of comebacks (Gregg Allman, the Meters’ Zigaboo Modeliste, the Time) Stax-related joys (both Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper issued solo sides) and out-of-nowhere delights (Big Head Todd does the blues?). But how did they rank on my list? Read on, as I count down myRead More

Rufus Thomas, R&B scamp and known ass-shaker about town, was the ripe old age of 53 when this single was released. He hadn’t lost one bit of arm-flapping gusto. Yet, “Do The Funky Chicken” still came out of nowhere. Thomas’s label, Memphis-based Stax, had recently severed ties with Atlantic Records,Read More

Here’s a look back at the Top 10 stories from last month on SomethingElseReviews.com, based on page views from our readers. Click through the titles for complete details … No. 10 — ONE TRACK MIND: ALEX MACHACEK, ‘VERY SAD’: Alex Machacek, whose thrilling pyrotechnic brilliance we’ve already raved about, peelsRead More

Tribute records are a tricky things; star-studded tribute projects even more so. It takes a strong unifying voice, some central character beyond the featured composer, to save them from sounding like choppy compilations. Steve Cropper, on today’s 429 Records release Dedicated, is that voice. Co-founder of Booker T and theRead More

Steve Cropper, of Booker T. and the MGs and Stax Records fame, has trouble picking any one moment on his upcoming star-studded project Dedicated as his favorite. So, we went further back into his legendary soul-soaked career. You May Also Like: John Belushi’s death almost ended Steve Cropper’s career: ‘Man,Read More

Steve Cropper talks about key influences, and how a last-minute delivery charge almost derailed his legendary music career.