Search - Lee Dorsey :: Holy Cow/Very Best of Lee Dorsey

Lee Dorsey: Not the best way to present a New Orleans giant

J P Ryan | Waltham, Massachusetts United States | 09/04/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"UK label Charly has been issuing marginal compilations by some pretty important artists since the LP era, and this 'new' Dorsey set is a CD edition of a brief hits collection issued on vinyl back in '86. Charly's sound is rarely more than serviceable (not having access to original master tapes by American artists is one problem). At the moment, and who knows how long the moment might last, we are lucky to have several superb sets available by one of the most underrated r&b stars of his era (an era that began with Ace in 1957 - Dorsey was already 30, a WWII vet, lightweight boxer and body-and-fender man extraordinaire - and ended with an ABC album in 1978, though he continued to perform, including an opening slot on an early '80s Clash tour). First, three fabulous albums representing Lee's long and fruitful collaboration with producer/writer Allen Toussaint: around the time the label re-issued the complete Meters catalog, Sundazed reissued Dorsey's classic work for the Amy/Sansu labels (spanning 1965 - 70) on two generous sets. "Ride Your Pony" (originally 1966) has been expanded to twice its original length, so in addition to classics like the title track and "Get Out Of My Life Woman" there are plenty of rare singles first issued during 1966 - 68, (including a pair of gems Lee cut with Betty Harris)all mastered from original sources by Bob Irwin, and the elegantly packaged collection, like its companion piece, includes annotation by Bill Dahl. The label's second set and Lee's second Amy album, "The New Lee Dorsey" features the truly eccentric, and funky, national hits "Working In The Coal Mine" and "Holy Cow." These two discs collect a total of 47 tracks from a very productive five year period, and the dozen bonus tracks on "The New..." cover 1966 - 70, thus include several examples of Dorsey backed by the Meters (such as the 1969 classic "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)". The range of material proves Dorsey's talent: wry, converstional, generous, streetwise, vulnerable, and self-deprecating, it's no wonder Toussaint worked with him more than any other artist. Lee, despite a love for Ray Charles, was less gospel influenced than most soul/r&b singers of his generation; he was certainly always ready with an apt ad-lib, especially during a song's fade. By 1970 Toussaint was producing Dorsey at Polydor, and if you can find Polygram's 1993 edition of "Yes We Can Can...and Then Some" (sadly o.p. and badly in need of a domestic reissue) is a classic, with Dorsey expanding his range to include more socially concious lyric, as befits the era, and an exquisitely unique New Orleans brand of funk/soul now fully matured. The original and best versions of the title track, "Sneakin Sally Through The Alley," "Riverboat" and other classics are here, but the 20-cut cd also includes several non album singles from 1970 - 73, such as On Your Way Down" (later covered by Little Feat), as well as unissued tracks from the same era and a pair of gems dating back to a brief stint with Smash in 1963 (with Dorsey backed by the AFO All Stars). In 2005, Austrailia's Raven issued the "Yes We Can Can" album, but minus all the extras except for two songs from post-album singles; instead they've included Dorsey's sole album for ABC, "Night People", which finds the singer's warmth intact amidst a very different seting - this was the disco era, and Lee adapts wonderfully on well arranged and smartly written material that is solid for about two thirds of its eight tracks. Depite Dorsey's wonderful voice and Toussaint's settings, the album is brief and somewhat uneven - I'm glad to have it, but it is definitely the bonus item here. Right now this imported two-fer is the least expensive way to acquire the 1970 Polydor classic, however one might miss eleven great tracks that are currently out of print.

I hope interested New Orleans/funk/soul fans, and fans of great American originals, skip the Charly comp and check out a generous portion of the great Lee Dorsey's finest work while it is still available!"

Solid programing wins the day

R. C. Dennis | l.a., ca. | 09/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"in spite of the no-masters issue, this is much more than a sraight reissue of the lp and i can't think of a better place to get the breadth of the lee dorsey catalog: five from the early period including his first for valiant ("lottie mo"), a baker's dozen from the amy/bell label, including a duet with betty harris, half the '70 polydor album, "yes we can" plus 2 great post lp singles ("on your way down" and "freedom for the stallion") and finally, a pair from his last album on abc, "night people". from "...coalmine" to "soulmine", you couldn't ask for a more comprehensive representation and, being old enough to own all of it on vinyl, i'm not as turned off by the sound as some might be. however- new millenium and all- perhaps using original masters would have made this the quintessential single cd place to discover the dorsey charm. as is, at 79 minutes and 28 songs, one would be hard pressed to find a more inclusive or enjoyable introductory program. five stars on material alone.

"