Wilson Pickett Albums (15)
What The Critics Say
Surely no one was expecting a "quiet storm" album from Wilson Pickett in 1968, and that sure isn't what they got with I'm in Love, but the Wicked Pickett sounds a lot more convincing on this album's romantic numbers than anyone would have had a right to expect from one of the baddest cats of Southern soul. Of course, there aren't all that many romantic ballads here, but Pickett's rough-and-ready soul shouting manages to sound just as convincing on "Bring It On Home to Me" and "That Kind of Love" as he does on the pained "Jealous Love" and a properly intense rip through "Stagger Lee." Pickett makes the most of the songwriting contributions from frequent collaborators Bobby Womack and Don Covay, while Tommy Cogbill and his crew of Muscle Shoals session heavyweights offer music which keeps up with Pickett for guts, soul, and drive -- no small statement, considering Pickett's richly deserved reputation as one of the strongest and most consistent artists of the period. Like most R&B albums of the period, I'm in Love sounds more like a set of tunes than a unified album, but it's a good set of tunes, performed with Pickett's usual high level of passion and skill, and if you're any kind of fan you'll revel in it. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'It's Harder Now'
Release Date 9/14/1999
Tracks 11
Label Bullseye Blues
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Most modern-day soul albums, especially those of the comeback variety, usually fall several steps short of their goal; the production is some sort of mummified "this-is-how-the-old-records-sounded" rehash, the band (while playing very competently) just lays there flat and lifeless, and the singers always sound about ten squares past their prime. A nice little trip down nostalgia lane, perhaps, but if you're going to compare this to their best work from the late '50s to mid-'60s, the new recordings just don't stack up, no way. But here's the album that proves to be a major league exception to the rule. It took Wilson Pickett something like 12 years to get around to making another record, but it definitely was worth the wait. Pickett is in top form on It's Harder Now, with a brand new batch of tunes, almost all of them co-written by producer-guitarist-bandleader Jon Tiven, with the Wicked One contributing to five of the 11 tunes onboard. His sore-throated howl is still mightily intact, even in the falsetto regions (yep, he can still hit those high screeches that fueled his best work on Atlantic), and his energy and instincts are as finely tuned as ever. Modern-day soul albums are seldom very rewarding, but this one is and then some. It's a comeback album that exceeds all expectations and acts as proof that Pickett is still wicked heading into the 21st century. Lovers of real soul music should add this one to their shopping list; it'll make you dance. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Wilson Pickett kept trying with RCA, going back to them in the mid-'70s after scoring one more hit album with Atlantic. He tried doing material with less soul and more pop production touches, toned down the familiar screams and cries, and stuck more to the melody. The results were unsatisfying all around. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is a two-LP reissue of a live 1973 performance, with pictures, lyrics and additional information in Japanese. Along with such classics as "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You," "Midnight Hour," "I Found a Love," "Mustang Sally," and "Land of 1,000 Dances," there are also a few curiosities, such as "Sugar, Sugar," "Never My Love," and "Glory Hallelujah," done in the inimitable Pickett style. The sound is very good, and the band is a solid soulful unit (not disco, thank God), making this a necessity for the soul collector. ~ Myles Boisen, Roots & Rhythm Newsletter, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A funny title, and a little bit better material and production for yet another Pickett attempt on RCA. He got a couple of chart hits, although the album itself didn't fare well. But it just wasn't the same; no longer was he roaring and belting out lyrics over a driving beat. Instead, he seemed like a mellow, almost restrained pop/soul type. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Wilson Pickett's eleventh and final album for the Atlantic label is yet another example of why the ultimate pop-soul singer was not only a consistent hitmaker time after time, but was able to adapt and change with the times, covering tunes a lesser singer would not dare try. By the occasion of this 1971 date, disco was starting to rear its head, and Pickett picked up on the trend while still retaining his native Alabama and longtime Detroit roots. After many years working with bands from the Motor City or Memphis, the singer had just collaborated with the Kenneth Gamble/Leon Huff team in Philadelphia, then returned here to record at the legendary Muscle Shoals studio in 'Bama, bringing string arranger Wade Marcus, background vocal arranger Dave Crawford, Detroit session guitarist nonpareil Dennis Coffey (spelled wrong as Coffee on the credits, corrected in Gene Sculatti's excellent updated liner notes) and the Memphis Horns. As he was not much of a songwriter in this latter period of his career, Pickett was fond of covering tunes done by British or American rockers and friends from the Southern soul scene, hoping a couple of them would stick on the charts, which they usually did. For the most part, these tracks segue into each other, a nightmare for radio or club DJs, and a most peculiar trait of this straight CD reissue. Pickett's two-part title track is half funky rock & roll, half weird synth-drizzled disco instrumental, all with an out-of-tune electric bass guitar from David Hood, though qualified with the lyric "if you don't like it, don't knock it". The slow-burning "Hot Love" showcases the most action from a potent horn section over amorous lyric references, Marcus and Crawford exploit the strings and female vocal backup on the ballad "Pledging My Love," while the anti-climactic "Woman Let Me Be Down Home" is listless lyrically and musically. The highlights include a version of "Fire & Water" originally done by Paul Rodgers (and co-composer Andy Fraser) of Free before the singer headed up Bad Company. Pickett jumps head first into this classic rock tune-turned-soulful song loaded up with clavinet sounds -- it would have been a kick to hear the wicked one cover Free's other big hit, "The Stealer". Randy Newman's "Mama Told Me Not to Come" from the book of Three Dog Night is so much better in the soul sender's hands, almost campy and somewhat humorous. Stevie Wonder's minor hit "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover" is done in Pickett's comfort zone similar to his big Philly-based hit "Engine Engine #9," alright in this instance, but not spectacular, instead more watered down. The hardest-driving numbers are "A Mighty Long Way" featuring Pickett's harmonica playing, and the straight pop-funk of "Call My Name, I'll Be There" with a somewhat cliché lyric post-Damita Jo or the Jackson Five, with Coffey's thorny guitar as a focal point. "Covering the Same Old Ground" is the downhearted blues Pickett was always capable of doing, but is marred by the syrupy strings. A high point on every track is the spot-on drumming of Roger Hawkins and keyboardist Barry Beckett, nuclei of the true Muscle Shoals sound. This is a recording yielding mixed results, and considering this is the end of his initial prime period as a top drawer R&B icon, understandable that it's not his best, even though there are many redeeming moments for his still great vocal talent. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
