Album of the Day

“Wilson [Pickett]’s emotional style is derived from his rich gospel singing and rhythm & blues background,” said writer Bob Rolontz in the sleeve notes to this Atlantic collection. “It’s this earthy, down home style (and perhaps a little thing called alliteration) that has earned him the nickname of THE WICKED PICKETT.” The 1967 set includes a bona fide classic in “Mustang Sally” as well as covers of “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love,” “New Orleans” and “Knock On Wood” that more than hold their own next to the originals. Cut at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with a tight band including guitarist Chips Moman and keyboardist Spooner Oldham, this is Southern soul at its finest. Wilson Pickett was born on this day in 1941, and we’ll mark the occasion with another spin of THE WICKED PICKETT.