![]() Cranked up and quickly dispelling the myth that the counterculture was made up of herberts afraid of getting down, the quartet’s energy is palpable, with their brilliance made very clear. The best performance of the track came on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1968. It can be viewed as an answer to what The MC5’s Wayne Kramer and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith were about to produce on 1969’s Kick Out the Jams, just much less frenetic and no way near as politicised. The former’s bass work is both busy and expressive, glueing the components together and dovetailing expertly with the vocal melody, fleshing it out in a way that even the writers of the original, Holland–Dozier–Holland, would have been envious of.Ĭomplementing Bogert’s work, Martell’s performance is gritty and muscular, filling in the gaps left by the bass and drums. Tim Bogert and Vince Martell also shine, doing their bit to bring this pulsating behemoth to life. For a song to be 55 years old and still raise the hairs on the back of the neck with every listen is remarkable. The band then kicks in for one last blast of the main refrain, and what a climax it is. As the guitar and bass drop out, Stein’s vibrations fill the air once more, backed by flourishes from Appice, heightening the tension. Never had an organ been used to such effect in popular music, with Stein using it as both a lead instrument and a textural device. With that, a notable return to the introduction towards the end of the track remains crucial. It makes the ears stand to attention, immersing the listener and creating a hefty dose of atmosphere that separates it from the sugary essence of the original. Stein’s organ is also an undoubted highlight. ![]() Marked out by a curiously heavy groove for the time, primarily thanks to the blistering drumming of Carmine Appice, who looked eerily similar to former QOTSA tub thumper Joey Castillo, the song has managed to retain a freshness thanks to the performances of each member. ![]() A psychedelic masterpiece, musically, it could not be further away from the original – which was released the previous year – with the only aspect drawing them together being the passion that the melody of the vocal performances conveys. However, their most impactful piece came in the form of their 1967 cover of The Supremes’ Motown classic ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’. The band were famed for their covers and scored hits with reworks of The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and Donovan’s ‘Season of the Witch’. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |