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4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice taste of Little Milton's Stax sides, 19 Mar 2009
This album brings together 14 songs recorded during Little Milton Campbell's 1970s tenure with the Stax label.
Milton started out as a gritty R&B singer, recorded several succesful blues singles for Chess subsidiary Checker, and then went on to Stax Records, where he recorded six LPs as well as a handful of sides which didn't see LP release until his tenure with the label had ended.
His Stax output was not really blues; some of it was what is sometimes labelled "soul-blues", but most of it was pure soul. Blues fans who enjoy Little Milton's early-60s output may be surprised to learn how much Milton's Stax output differed from his 50s and early-60s recordings, but soul fans should have a ball here. Songs like "Let Me Down Easy" and "Tin Pan Alley" have a gritty, bluesy edge, whereas "If You Talk In Your Sleep", and the melodic "If That Ain't A Reason (for your woman to leave you)" are pure, deep soul, well executed and performed by a terrific band fully capable of displaying some ample chops of their own while still deferring to their front man.
The tough soul stomper "That's What Love Will Make You Do" is one of Milton's best original songs, and the classic "Walking The Back Streets And Crying" is here as well, of course, a smouldering, intense slow soul-blues number. And we get a sizzling live "I Can't Quit You Baby" as well, a showcase for Milton's bluesy lead guitar playing.
Little Milton is frequently backed by Stax stalwarts The Memphis Horns, and he plays his characteristic, crisp, staccato lead guitar. Check out the interplay between the two on the swaggering "If You Talk In Your Sleep" and the aforementioned "That's What Love Will Make You Do".
The arrangements are generally excellent as well...not too slick, not too many strings (none at all, mostly), and he was always a terrific soul singer, no matter what he was actually singing at the time.
Hardcore fans will of course want the original albums, "If Walls Could Talk", "Tin Pan Alley", "Walkin' The Back Streets", and the live "Grits Ain't Groceries" in particular, but this is a nice sampler for the more casual fan to pick up. It is almost identical to the other Stax compilation, "The Very Best Of Little Milton" (2007)...the track lists almost duplicate each other, but if I had to chose, I would actually go with the latter. This disc has 14 songs, including a live cut from "Grits Ain't Groceries", but the 2007 "Very Best Of"-compilation has seventeen, and no overlaps with that excellent live album (which you ought to get no matter what!).
"Stax Profiles - Little Milton" is a fine introduction to the late, great guitarist, absolutely, but again...check out "The Very Best Of Little Milton" before you make up your mind.
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