indy cd & vinyl

VARIOUS ARTISTS—STAX 50^th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION BOX

“Green Onions,” “Walking The Dog,” “Respect,” “Hold On, I’m Coming,” “Knock On Wood,” “B-A-B-Y,” “Born Under A Bad Sign,” “Soul Man,” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay,” “Who’s Making Love,” “Walk On By,” “Mr. Big Stuff,” “Respect Yourself,” “Theme From Shaft,” “I’ll Take You There,” “Soul Finger,” “Time Is Tight,” “Do The Funky Chicken,” “Watcha See Is Watcha Get,” Cheaper To Keep Her”. These are just a few of the monumental songs that comprise the 50 tracks on the newly released Stax Box. Reissues and compilations are not a staple of this column, but this set is too good, too important, to ignore. Stax Records, started as Satellite Records in 1957, was located in Memphis, TN and helped define what soul music was (and is) during its nearly twenty-year run. Recording in an abandoned theatre, and, uniquely, featuring an integrated house band, named Booker T. & The M.G.’s, and a killer horn section in the Memphis Horns, the sound of Stax became, along with Motown, the sound of what we think of when we think sixties and seventies soul. Compared to Motown, though, Stax’s output was earthier, grittier, and more rooted in funk than pop. But this did not stop the Stax roster from scoring an incredible run of hits on the pop charts, as the song list above demonstrates. From Rufus Thomas’ strut to Same and Dave’s call-and-response to Otis Redding’s vocal landmarks to Albert King’s scorching, horn-drenched blues to Booker T. and the M.G.’s instrumental prowess to Isaac Hayes deep-throated ballads to the Staples Singers modern gospel, (and, of course, all the one-hit wonders in-between), Stax covered all the bases with consistent greatness. The “Stax sound” was based on heavy use of the bass, lots of horn charts, which usually replaced passages that would normally be filled by guitars and background vocals, sparse, punchy arrangements, and prominent gospel influences. Most important, however, was the emphasis on capturing the sound “live,” regardless of flubs, and with few overdubs. This approach captured the excitement of the music on wax, something rarely achieved with such distinction by its competitor labels. But even when the live approach was abandoned at the start of the seventies, the innovations of singers like Isaac Hayes and the Staples Singers kept the Stax magic alive. While the true afficianado can always turn to the 9-disc Stax-Volt box (Volt records was a smaller subsidiary of Stax) released some time ago, this 50^th anniversary 2-disc set really captures all the high points and essentials, and in luscious remastered sound. Beautiful packaging and a greatly informative booklet round out the achievement. And at 50 tracks for 20 bucks, not even Itunes can compete. Purchase, listen, enjoy.