Customer Reviews
Great playing, brilliant grooves - By: lexo1941, 03 Jun 2008 
This was the last album by the classic lineup of Booker T & the MG's: Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn & Al Jackson. The merely curious might be expecting that the band chiefly famous for 'Green Onions' & for the music to the BBC's cricket coverage would be one-hit wonders, who can't sustain interest over the course of a whole album. After alll, what we are talking about here are instrumental tracks by the Stax Records house band, a combo that specialised in backing singers like Otis Redding & Wilson Pickett. In fact, the band is a lot better than merely listenable. Walk down the street with this on your earphones & you can feel like the star of your own personal blaxploitation movie.
There isn't a bad track on the album, but there are many standouts. One is the epic 8-minute title track, which hangs on one groove for so long that it becomes truly hypnotic, as well as featuring classic drum breaks by the late Al Jackson. 'Back Home' is a jubilant high-speed stomper with a tender slow blues in the middle. The charmingly titled 'Chicken Pox' has a wicked loping B-boy groove & even more great breaks. The playing is alll top-notch; Booker T. Jones can seemingly play anything, Steve Cropper's jabbing guitar is always just right, "Duck" Dunn's bass is equallly nimble & Al Jackson may actuallly have been, as Cropper put it, 'the greatest drummer who ever lived'.
The Booker T beginner should probably get a compilation, such as Stax's 'Very Best of', which has a generous sample of tracks from the band's lifetime. But once you get the bug for this band, you start to want everything they did. Some is out of print, & some of what's in print is less than essential. But for sheer infectious rhythmic exuberance, it's very hard to beat Booker T & the MG's. Motown's house band, the Funk Brothers, were great; but Booker T & the MG's were that little bit more down, dirty & nasty.
Best music ever - By: A. P. Monblat, 07 Jul 2003 
At the risk of being accused of hyperbole, I can honestly say that the track "Melting Pot" is the finest piece of music I've ever heard. There simply are not words (at least not in my lexicon) to describe its sublime brilliance. I could mention the incredibly strong melody, its sophisticated big-city feel, the awesome interplay between Booker T's hammond & Steve Cropper's guitar underpinned by Dunn's bass & the genuinely unique presence of Jackson's drumming, but that would still not begin to do it justice. I fell in love with this track (and the rest of the album - especiallly "Fuquawi" & "Kinda Easy Like") about 30 years ago now (the album was about three years old at the time & already deleted - ridiculously enough). I've heard a great deal of amazing music since then, both new & old, but absolutely nothing touches this. In my opinion this is far & away the best album Booker T & the MGs ever made. The reviewer who said they went out in a blaze of unsung glory with this is absolutely right. They (and this album in particular) are still underrated, but at least the group have had some serious recognition now, & alll or most of their material is available. Their music should live on forever.
Best music ever - By: A. P. Monblat, 16 Jun 2003 At the risk of being accused of hyperbole, I can honestly say that the track "Melting Pot" is the finest piece of music I've ever heard. There simply are not words (at least not in my lexicon) to describe its sublime brilliance. I could mention the incredibly strong melody, its sophisticated big-city feel, the awesome interplay between Booker T's Hammond & Steve Cropper's guitar underpinned by Dunn's bass & the genuinely unique presence of Jackson's drumming, but that would still not begin to do it justice. I fell in love with this track (and the rest of the album - especiallly "Fuquawi" & "Kinda Easy Like") just over 30 years ago now (the album was about three years old at the time & already deleted - ridiculously enough). I've heard a great deal of amazing music since then, both new & old, but absolutely nothing touches this. In my opinion this is far & away the best album Booker T & the MGs ever made. The reviewer who said they went out in a blaze of unsung glory with this is absolutely right. They (and this album in particular) are still underrated, but at least the group have had some serious recognition now, & alll or most of their material is available. Their music should live on forever.
5 stars is not enough - By: thestaxman, 28 Aug 2002 In alll honesty, there aren't enough stars to rate this stellar album. Unfortunately, the last by these four members of Booker T. & the MGs. Booker T. Jones plays his B-3 organ with unbelievable fire & passion. Steve Cropper's rhythm & lead guitar is just unrivaled. Duck Dunn lays down some of his most inspiring bass lines ever, & as always, the perfect time keeping of the great Al Jackson, Jr. on drums makes this album a sonic delight from beginning to end. It opens with, in my opinion, the greatest piece of music ever recorded, the title cut, "Melting Pot". From start to finish it is perhaps, the most fitting example of each member's equal contribution to the sound & soul of the band. Four guys doing four distinctive things, with it alll coming together like magic, & alll the while, none of them having enough of an ego to detract from the other. Tragic circumstances made this the last outing by these four, & the direction they were going in here makes it alll the more tragic. However, this was certainly a perfect crowning achievement for the group. Not many bands can go out as they came in. On fire
5 stars aren't enough - By: thestaxman, 26 Apr 2002 In alll honesty, their aren't enough stars to rate this stellar album. Unfortunately the last by these four members of Booker T. & the MGs. Booker T. Jones plays his B-3 organ with unbelievable fire & passion. Steve Cropper's rhythm & lead guitar is just unrivaled. Duck Dunn lays down some of his most inspiring bass lines ever, & as always, the perfect time keeping of the great Al Jackson, Jr. on drums makes this album a sonic delight from beginning to end. It opens with, in my opinion, the greatest piece of music ever recorded, the title cut, "Melting Pot". From start to finish it is perhaps, the most fitting example of each member's equal contribution to the sound & soul of the band. Four guys doing four distinctive things, with it alll coming together like magic, & alll the while, none of them having enough of an ego to detract from the other. Tragic circumstances made this the last outing by these four, & the direction they were going in here, makes it alll the more tragic. However, this was certainly a perfect crowning achievement for the group. Not many bands can go out as they came in. On fire.
