Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
John Gary Williams had been a longtime member of the Stax soul vocal group the Mad Lads before starting a solo career after the group broke up in the early '70s. His self-titled 1973 album is one of the most obscure Stax LPs, in part because it was issued as the company started to cease operations. He wrote five of the eight tracks on the record, producing five of them as well (and co-producing the others). Though not a major effort in the scheme of either early-'70s soul or the Stax catalog, it's a pleasant assortment of sweet soul tracks, with a slightly earthier edge than many recordings in the genre boasted. Most of the songs are upbeat romantic numbers highlighting Williams' smooth, high vocals, inserting covers of songs by the Four Tops, the Spinners, and (more unexpectedly) Bobby Goldsboro. The most impressive cuts, by a long shot, are the ones that steer away from the usual romantic themes to make general social observations. The opener "I See Hope" is a lively, dramatic expression of optimism; the closing "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy," in contrast, reflects the pessimism infiltrating much early-'70s soul, the gently percolating grooves and soaring strings offsetting lyrics of confusion at the backstabbing state of the modern world. [The 2010 CD reissue on BGP adds historical liner notes and both sides of the subsequent single "Come What May"/"Just Ain't No Love Without You Here," two midtempo tunes with a similar vibe to those on the album.]
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12,49€/month
Carl William Smith, ComposerLyricist - John Gary Williams, Producer, Recording Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
Lester Snell, ComposerLyricist - John Gary Williams, Producer, Recording Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
Bobby Russell, ComposerLyricist - John Gary Williams, Producer, Recording Producer, MainArtist
℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Gary Williams, Producer, Recording Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
Willie Hall, Producer, Recording Producer - John Gary Williams, Producer, Recording Producer, MainArtist - Joe Hunter, ComposerLyricist - William "Mickey" Stevenson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
Yvette Davis, ComposerLyricist - John Gary Williams, Producer, Recording Producer, MainArtist
℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
Lester Snell, ComposerLyricist - John Gary Williams, Producer, Recording Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - William C. Brown III, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Gary Williams, Producer, Recording Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
Albumbeschreibung
John Gary Williams had been a longtime member of the Stax soul vocal group the Mad Lads before starting a solo career after the group broke up in the early '70s. His self-titled 1973 album is one of the most obscure Stax LPs, in part because it was issued as the company started to cease operations. He wrote five of the eight tracks on the record, producing five of them as well (and co-producing the others). Though not a major effort in the scheme of either early-'70s soul or the Stax catalog, it's a pleasant assortment of sweet soul tracks, with a slightly earthier edge than many recordings in the genre boasted. Most of the songs are upbeat romantic numbers highlighting Williams' smooth, high vocals, inserting covers of songs by the Four Tops, the Spinners, and (more unexpectedly) Bobby Goldsboro. The most impressive cuts, by a long shot, are the ones that steer away from the usual romantic themes to make general social observations. The opener "I See Hope" is a lively, dramatic expression of optimism; the closing "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy," in contrast, reflects the pessimism infiltrating much early-'70s soul, the gently percolating grooves and soaring strings offsetting lyrics of confusion at the backstabbing state of the modern world. [The 2010 CD reissue on BGP adds historical liner notes and both sides of the subsequent single "Come What May"/"Just Ain't No Love Without You Here," two midtempo tunes with a similar vibe to those on the album.]
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 8 track(s)
- Total length: 00:31:04
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: John Gary Williams
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Stax
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc. ℗ 2017 Concord Music Group, Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.