Search - Percy Sledge :: The Percy Sledge Way/Take Time to Know Her

Excellent Re-issue Of Percy's Best Stuff.

rollo | usa | 04/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"DBK Works is a somewhat new record label out of California that is re-issuing music from the 60's and 70's in twofer format (two albums on one cd). I have a few of them such as "7 Letters" by Ben E King and "Home Style" by Brook Benton. I recently purchased this Percy Sledge twofer and it is just as satisfying as the other two. All of the tracks are stereo and the re mastering is super. Great music, great sound, great record company. DBK Works."

2 Classic Percy Sledge albums in superior sound!

Josh P. | 08/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Percy Sledge has one of the most chilling, passionate and beautiful voices in all of soul music. It took the right group of musicians to help emphasize that. Who better to fit the bill than the Muscle Shoals outfit?

The right combination for some awesome, heartfelt deep soul.



DBK Works has done a fine job in reissuing these classic albums on CD complete with original album liner notes, producer, songwriter and musician credits, as well as some new liner notes and biographies. The sound quality is as crisp as can be; every voice and instrument is audible and the balance is incredibly set. These are Percy's third and fourth Atlantic albums. First is "The Percy Sledge Way" which features 11 cover versions of classic soul tunes. One of the very best is the rendition of Sam Cooke's "You Send Me". The bass guitar and the organ just make that song happen. Absolutely sensual in every sense. "Tell It Like It Is", "Pledging My Love", "My Special Prayer", and "Just Out of Reach" (a top 70 record in '67) are the most noteworthy of those tracks. Tracks 12-23 are "Take Time To Know Her". The title cut was Percy Sledge's second biggest hit behind "When A Man Loves A Woman". "Take Time To Know Her" will just send chills down your back with its eerily passionate organ notes, and equally passionate and smoldering backing vocals who did a fair share of backup on this and the previous album. On this album, Percy features new material like "Cover Me", "It's All Wrong But It's Alright", and "Sudden Stop". He does some knock-out cover versions of the Fleetwoods' "Come Softly To Me" in a misty-sounding falsetto, and the Classic IV's "Spooky." Spooner Oldham does some great things again with the organ on the latter including the high downward chromatic run at words like "you stop and say...alright." Not all are slow; two such up-tempo numbers are "Baby Help Me" and "I Love Everything About You."

As you can probably tell, the backing musicians did so much to augment Percy's wonderful voice. Roger Hawkins' drumming, simplistic as it seems, feels so tight locking in with David Hood's bass lines and punctuating saxes and horns.

2 classic albums of deep soul on one disc featuring the amazing Percy Sledge...sweet deal. Perfect for a romantic evening.

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