Feelin' the Blues

Musical siblings (bass/vocals), (guitar/vocals), (harmonica/vocals), and (guitar/vocals) were raised on rural gospel in their native Mississippi before switching over to folk and then soulful blues and R&B-fueled rock. ' recordings issued by the Los Angeles-based label were nearly four years old when hit the streets in 1970. The band's style had changed quite drastically from old-school blues, soul, and pop to the longer psychedelic jams heard on their international hit Although the mixture of live and studio selections gives the collection an odds-and-sods vibe, several of the performances are among the best of the -era material. Somewhat contrasting with the album's title, actually cover a wide spectrum of music on . Their roots can be heard throughout the flawless interpretation of the sacred standards and the excellent Similarly, the midtempo reading of ' offers an opportunity to subtly return to their gospel origins with call-and-response backing harmonies. The proceedings are far from being pious, however, as the quartet harmonizes the chorus of during one of the instrumental breaks. Perhaps wishing to remove some of the sting from the real storyline, the reworking of -- according to the spoken introduction -- is told from the point of view of the receptionist (huh?) at the infamous bordello. Had decided on a more straightforward translation, the song could easily have been one of the album's best. Other tunes worth spinning include a version of 's -- in a longer form than on 1968's -- and the comparatively brief but effective update of the jazzy In 2007, licensed all four of releases, marking the first time they have been available in over three decades. ~ Lindsay Planer