Joe Tex Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
For one shining moment, disco and funk came together to produce a last big hit for Joe Tex, who was more than worthy of it. Trivial next to his greatest material, but he loved that big fat woman at least as much as the one with the scrawny legs, and it shows through, which is all fans of the form will ask. ~ Dave Marsh, All Music Guide
'He Who Is Without Funk Cast the First Stone'
Release Date 1/1/1973
Tracks 8
Label Dial
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What The Critics Say
Richard Pryor meets P-Funk, down-home. Tex's still telling the most basic truths: "Finger Popped Myself into the Poor House" and "Who Gave Birth to the Funk" speak for all the soul men virtually wiped out by 1978, when disco seemed to rein over all (so much so that by now Dial was distributed by the Miami dance label TK). The remake of "Hold What You've Got" is horrid, but "Music Ain't Got No Color" is the truth. ~ Dave Marsh, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Joe Tex may have been past his greatest days when he released this album, but his mix of funk and comic lyrics was still potent. Spills the Beans contains everything that made him famous: rap-like singing with a good dose of humor, sermons about the importance of true love, and proverbial titles like "Cat's Got Her Tongue." This track is humorous, but not much of a song, and that is probably the only problem with Joe Tex's style on his later records. Just as well as being comic, the lyrics and Tex's laugh can be irritating, and songs that take too much of the style of novelty numbers often lose some of their durability. Except for that, and of course the horrible cover, this album is similar to the previous album I Gotcha, and Tex shows the same skill in mixing styles as there. One track with more subtle humor than usual is the bluesey B.B. King pastiche Woman Stealer, where Tex invokes King, and a bunch of others, to help him against the evil men taking other men's women. ~ Lars Lovén, All Music Guide
'From the Roots Came the Rapper'
Release Date 1/1/1971
Tracks 9
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
The era this material represents wasn't an artistic or commercial high-water mark in Tex's career, although it's OK. Like his late-'60s sides, it bridges smooth soul with funk and anticipates rap, though it's a little lusher than his slightly earlier stuff. From From the Roots Came the Rapper itself, a highlight is the epic, eight-minute version of "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)," which naturally includes some extended spoken sections. That and the similarly constructed 11-minute cover of "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" make you wonder whether there was some influence traveling back and forth between Tex and Isaac Hayes. The rest of that LP had fair, and not great, good-natured yet earthy soul with a bit more of a slick Northern soul production influence than his '60s records. Tex himself, surprisingly, wrote just one of the tunes, though the other writers included stalwarts Jerry Williams Jr. (aka Swamp Dogg) ("The Baby Is Mine") and Don Covay ("I Can Do It Better"). ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
'Joe Tex With Strings and Things'
Release Date 1/1/1970
Tracks 10
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
The title has all the earmarks of a disaster but the contents mainly serve to demonstrate how indomitable Tex was. "You're Right, Ray Charles" is classic Tex, and "(When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again) I Can't See You No More" isn't far behind. Maybe it's just that in 1970 no combination of a great singer and the rhythm section assembled at American Studios in Memphis could do wrong. ~ Dave Marsh, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Fantastic reproduction of a 1968 show -- who knows how much overdubbing was done, and when the feel is this spontaneous and funky, who cares? He tears up stuff like "Get Out of My Life, Woman," "Love is a Hurtin' Thing," and even "That's Life." But the real meat is in his hits: "Skinny Legs and All" is a true climax, but only because part of what it follows is "A Woman's Hands," "Papa Was, Too," and other originals, all of them topping the standards. Arguably the definitive Joe Tex document. (The liner notes, by a St. Louis DJ, are among the worst in even the shabby history of '60s R&B notes, but that just makes them funnier.) ~ Dave Marsh, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Joe Tex issued a series of remarkable soul/country sessions in the mid-'60s, cutting them in Nashville under Buddy Killen's direction. This may have been the best album of the bunch; it had both straight country covers and soulful numbers, with Tex offering homespun wit and wisdom, evocative laments, and sassy come-ons. The production and arrangements were perfectly restrained and unobstrusive. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Joe Tex was at the top of his game as the down-home philosopher of Southern soul when he cut The Love You Save, one of three (!) albums Tex would release in 1966. Tex's warm and passionate tenor is in superb form on these tunes, and his songs, which offer plenty of advice on keeping your relationship in good shape (" "Build Your Love (On a Solid Foundation)"), keeping up with the Joneses ("Funny Bone"), understanding what you want out of life (" "I'm a Man"), and various other topics of importance, are solid, funny, and bear the sing of truth. Buddy Killen's production is the perfect marriage of deep South vibe and East coast polish, and all 12 songs hit the bullseye (including an idiosyncratic but beautifully executed cover of "Heartbreak Hotel." Great stuff that any fan of Southern soul should have on their want list. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Hold on to What You've Got'
Release Date 1/1/1965
Tracks 11
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
For the most part, this early long-player from Joe Tex favors the goofier side of his musical personality rather than the home-truth moral lessons which often dominated much of his work. While "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show", "You Better Get It" and the title tune all offer heartfelt advice on love and life, the Caribbean-flavored "I'm Not Going To Work Today" and the Roger Miller-turned-hawk anthem "Are We Ready" both aim squarely for the funny bone, as does the exasperated "You Can Stay", a rant against noisy neighbors, while the slinky "You've Got What It Takes" confronts a seriously sexy woman with an appreciative smile. Of course, being the country boy that he was at heart, Joe Tex's comic numbers are still seasoned with friendly advice on living a better life, but Tex's warm, emphatic delivery and the easy-going but potently soulful accompaniment insures that Tex doesn't sound preachy so much as he recalls a neighbor down the way ready to offer some helpful words to a friend in need. A consistently enjoyable album from one of the most distinctive artists of Southern soul. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
