ANN PEEBLES "Straight From The Heart" 1972

A lean, tough set that was not only a triumph for Peebles, but illustrated how the Hi label had surpassed its crosstown Stax rival for quality Memphis soul in the early '70s. The guitars are spare, funky, and bluesy, the horn section punchy, and the material far earthier and down-home than the increasingly formulaic grooves at Stax. There were three modest R&B hits on the album ("Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love," "I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home," "Somebody's on Your Case"), much of which was penned by Peebles or her husband Don Bryant. Peebles' vocals were convincingly biting, and she never, unlike many other singers of the era, tried too hard for her own good. (Richie Unterberger, Allmusic)I was blessed with a copy of this from Paul Taylor, who had worked on some graphic design for a Syl Johnson album. The album features the same Hodges Bros./Hi-Rhythm Section that was behind Al Green, various other Hi-Records recording artists, and even recently the indie act, Cat Power. Ann Peebles voice, while complemeted immensely by the Hodges Bros. tight and thick 70's funk/soul soundings, offers up an album as strong as any Al Green album released around the same period. Definitely a missing "must have" among the many exhaustive lists of "must haves," "Straight From the Heart" reveals the power of an awesome rhythm section when pushed and challenged by an accomplished singer. While this album is relatively short by today's album standards, it satisfies none the less. (Amazon)

trax:
01 Slipped, Tripped & Fell In Love 02 Trouble, Heartache & Sadness 03 What You Laid On Me 04 How Strong Is A Woman 05 Somebody's On Your Case 06 I Feel Like Breaking Up 07 I've Been There Before 08 I Pity The Fool 09 99 Pounds 10 I Take What I Want
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