Search - Wilson Pickett :: Midnight Mover

A welcome reissue from prime Atlantic period

C. Steward | Castro Valley CA | 02/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not one note of Wilson Pickett's Atlantic period should be out of print. Sadly, Midnight Mover has never been on commercial CD but that finally that has been rectified. Midnight Mover is very strong, cuts 1-10. It's a coincidence that Collectables has been releasing Pickett's classic individual albums at the time of his death. But it has served to make them even more relevant than before.

Pickett released 10 LPs on Atlantic and they're all essential. Many of the non-single tracks are just as good as the hits. Collectables delivers the usual skimpy notes but at least got the music out to us. Rhino has been sitting on Pickett's Atlantic output for years, releasing only I'm In Love, In Philadelphia and The Man And A Half compilation. This is an artist whose stature in soul cries out for his complete catalog being available.

Collectables has reissued the first five -- In The Midnight Hour, The Exciting Wilson Pickett, The Sound of Wilson Pickett, The Wicked Pickett and Midnight Mover -- and all are important. I'm In Love, In Philadelphia, Hey Jude, Right On and Don't Knock My Love complete the Atlantic discography. Of these 10, only Right On can be found lacking a bit, and even it has some wonderful moments. The unavailable Don't Knock My Love is a terrific wrapup on the label, and if Collectables or somebody else finally gets around to that one, maybe they can add his last Atlantic single: Funk Factory/One Step Away.

For now, get Midnight Mover. It's classic Pickett, a lot of it you've probably never heard. You'll be astounded by It's A Groove, I Found A True Love, Down By The Sea and Trust Me. How could these be gathering dust for nearly 40 years?

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