Fifth in Bloomington, MN

Following the success of his third album,
Lee Michaels
continued the path of a solo artist -- solo meaning that most of the sounds on the record were primarily recorded by
Lee
alone. Organ (Hammond and pipe), piano, harpsichord, and organ bass create a heavy, dense foundation.
Michaels
had a unique sound, and along with his larynx-shredding vocals, the results are staggering. Aided by
Joel Larson
on drums,
does a lot of covers on this record -- including
"Willie and the Hand Jive,"
"Ya Ya,"
and
"Can I Get a Witness."
renders them all in an infectious, gospel style. There are only a few originals on the album, and one,
"Do You Know What I Mean"
(which really sounded like a cover), was a monstrous hit and cemented
as one of the best white blues performers of the period, along with
Joe Cocker
Steve Winwood
. ~ Matthew Greenwald