Johnnie Taylor Albums (31)
'Live at the Summit Club'
Release Date 2/20/2007
Tracks 10
Label Stax
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What The Critics Say
With the release of Johnnie Taylor's Live at the Summit Club, the Concord label's takeover of the Stax catalog from its former owner, Fantasy, has already born fruit. This set is a club date recorded in 1972 as part of the WattStax: The Living Word documentary. Taylor was bumped from the festival lineup on the day of because of time overruns. He was booked into the club with his own band and an expanded set of Los Angeles musicians. The ten cuts here have never been issued unedited, and only one, an edited version of "Jody Got Your Girl and Gone," made the film, and three others were on earlier LPs as edited versions. The performance by Taylor is electrifying. He's in a club in front of the City of Angels regulars who, according to the notes, were "fur-lined players and ice cold hustlers." Given the film stills in the booklet, this observation proves to be true. Taylor is far from intimidated, however; he simply delivers an authoritative, strutting, burning performance that engages the audience at street level. They are active participants in what makes this date so special. The band is ragged and sometimes a bit off harmonically, missing cues (especially early), but Taylor doesn't miss a step. He chides them semi-regularly -- the first time happens at the beginning of "Steal Away," a Jimmy Hughes ballad he ramps up into a funky burner after his amazing read of Isaac Hayes' and David Porter's "Little Bluebird." He simply tells them to pick it up because they've been dragging all night. "Who's Making Love," his smash 1968 hit, is here as a full-blown audience participation number, and works to stunning effect. Cuts like "I Don't Wanna Lose You," "Hello Sundown," and "Stop Doggin' Me" simply come off like the lost funky soul Holy Grail that they are. The sound is impeccable, as the music was recorded for possible inclusion in the film -- he tells the crew to get their stuff out of his way at one point. This one cannot be recommended enough. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Southern Soul Troubadors, Vol. 1'
Release Date 6/13/2006
Tracks 21
Label Fuel 2000
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'There's No Good in Goodbye'
Release Date 7/1/2003
Tracks 16
Label Malaco
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What The Critics Say
This posthumous album from the chitlin circuit soul/bluesman is comprised of previously unreleased songs left over from his various Malaco albums. But even though there has been some overdubbing, remixing, and touching up of these original sessions recorded from 1984-1999, the disc flows remarkably well. The usual Malaco embellishments of slick horns, slicker backing vocals, and inconsistent material plagues some of the music, but in general this is as solid a collection of songs as any he released for the imprint. Tracks ten through 16 were recorded in 1999 for his last album, Gotta Get the Groove Back, which was released shortly before his death. They feature the cream of the Muscle Shoals studio musicians, including bassist David Hood, guitarist Jimmy Johnson, and occasional Rolling Stones saxman Jim Horn. The sound remains polished, but Taylor is in terrific voice and spirits throughout, and he, like his idol Sam Cooke (who he imitates briefly in "Where Is Your Woman Tonight"), elevates even the most lackluster material with his malleable pipes. One of the most interesting tracks is a 1988 cover of Paul Simon's "Take Me to the Mardi Gras," a duet with his son Floyd, who added harmony vocals after his dad's death. Although these were leftovers, there is nothing second-rate about them. Slow, swampy burners such as "Please Sign the Dotted Line" and the gospel-ish "I Reach for You," along with upbeat funk like "Con Lover," rank with his finest work for Malaco. His blues are downplayed in favor of the label's soul orientation, but this is still prime Johnnie Taylor. This project is obviously a labor of love, and a fitting coda to an underappreciated career for one of America's best Southern soul singers. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
'Just Ain't Good Enough'
Release Date 2/1/2000
Tracks 6
Label Capitol
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What The Critics Say
Just Ain't Good Enough is an album Taylor released on the short-lived Beverly Glen label in 1982. The record spawned two R&B hits for Taylor -- "What About My Love" and "I'm So Proud" -- and peaked at number 19 on the R&B charts. It's a solid effort that fits sound- and style-wise alongside his six albums for Columbia. Taylor, dissatisfied with the label's promotion of the record, would soon leave for Malaco, but this is the missing link in the chain, and an album well worth hearing. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
'Gotta Get the Groove Back'
Release Date 10/19/1999
Tracks 12
Label Malaco
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What The Critics Say
Johnnie Taylor's biggest hit album also proved his undoing. Stax had collapsed, and he ended up on Columbia's roster. The disco boom was beginning, and Taylor had the perfect single. "Disco Lady" was vocally quite similar to his earlier material, but its lyrics embraced the hedonism and dance-your-troubles-away ethic of the era. It was not only a number one hit, but the song of the year for 1976, and Taylor was shoved into territory he wasn't comfortable in. The rest of the album was standard soul, but this was overlooked in the rush. Taylor eventually left the label after subsequent attempts to pigeonhole him as a dance singer bombed. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Good Love! is an excellent latter-day record from Johnnie Taylor, illustrating that the singer has lost very little of his soulful power. Although the production may be a little to slick for some tastes, Taylor's gutsy singing makes the music sound gritty, and very few modern-day Southern soul albums have a collection of songs this consistently strong. In other words, Good Love! is everything any Johnnie Taylor fan could hope for from a modern-day soul record. ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide
