Wilson Pickett
It's Harder Now
(Bullseye 11661-9625-2)
It's been twelve years since Wilson Pickett's last release, and I hope
it isn't another twelve! This is classic Wilson Pickett with a fine band
behind him. Wilson is funky; very funky. He shouts and screams, croons and
growls and proves that he remains one of the all-time great R&B
performers.
This album leans heavily on the blues and isn't just a
straight R&B platter. It's a raucous trip into bluesifed R&B that
starts with his "Outskirts of Town" and moves through five other
originals and six fairly deep covers. The first three songs
"Outskirts of Town," "Taxi Love" and "What's
Under That Dress?" set the tone as they shift from blues based
R&B into a smooth but funkier feel. Here the rhythm section of Simon
Kirke (drums) and Sally Tiven (bass) set a great groove that Mason Casey
uses to blow harp against. "What's Under That Dress?" is similar
to some of the grooves Wilson set back in the 60s and 70s and it blends
Pickett's sense of humor with his obvious appreciation of well…what's
under that dress. The next three songs take a turn towards soul and the
blues. "Stomp" with its grinding beat and Jr. Wells like harp
with horns in counterpoint behind Pickett's vocals is reminiscent of some
of the work done by those like Sly Stone and James Brown. Both
"Stomp" and "Soul Survivor" reflect the funkier blues
that is often played now in Chicago. The title song, "It's Harder
Now," is a perfect tune for Wilson to show how rich a vocalist he is.
A soulful, melodic song that features the best guitar work by Wilsons
guitarist and co-arranger, Jon Tiven and his bassist wife Sally. Wilson
moves into a different feel with "It Ain't Easy" and "Bad
People." "It Ain't Easy" has a more traditional feel than
the preceding song. "Bad People" is a funky, fat-back song that
combines strong background vocals and horns to show off Wilson's singing.
The last three songs of this record are a fitting set of tunes to end this
once a decade production. "All About Sex" uses a shuffle based
rhythm combined with an older rock & roll feel to crank things back up
to a Wilson Pickett level. "Better Him Than Me" follows with
pure mid-tempo R&B that flows right into the closer, "Stone Crazy
World." This upbeat tune with its opening horns and Pickett's
legendary scream takes us home just like I'm taking this CD home and
putting it in the changer. Wilson Pickett is still here and if you liked
him in the past, you'll love this CD.
- Jim Wells -
Southwest Blues CD Review - February 2000
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