Arthur Alexander
was an artist whose importance and influence sadly outweighed his commercial success; while his first hit, 1961's
"You Better Move On,"
immediately cemented his reputation as a major singer and songwriter in
Southern soul
-style, working with management who played up
Alexander
's
country
leanings at the expense of his
blues
-influenced vocal style had thrown his career into a tailspin by the end of the decade, despite having his songs covered by both
The Beatles
and
The Rolling Stones
. In 1972,
was signed to
Warner Brothers
, and cut an album and a handful of singles which he hoped would kick-start his performing career; sadly,
Warners
were unsure of how to promote an artist whose music had more to do with vintage
southern soul
of the mid-60s than the funkier sounds which were dominating the
R&B
charts. In 1994, not long after
's untimely death,
released
Rainbow Road: The Warner Bros. Recordings
, which combined the lion's share of the 1972 album with several single sides, and this collection made clear that
's little-heard album was nothing short of a masterpiece.
's songs dealt with the home truths of love and life, such as the tortured tale of a busted marriage
"In The Middle Of It All,"
"Go Home Girl"
's heartsick story of falling in love with your best friend's girl, and the impassioned
gospel
-style closer
"Thank God He Came"
;
also had a real knack for choosing other folks' songs, especially the superb title cut, written by
Dan Penn
Donnie Fritts
, and
"Burning Love,"
which he cut several months before
Elvis Presley
scored a hit with it. But the best reason to listen to this album is
's vocals, which combine a smooth, soulful sound with a gritty and emphatic bluesy undertow which makes his songs of both joy and sorrow real and emphatic, and they dovetail brilliantly with the sweet-and-sour tones of producer
Tommy Cogbill
's session band.
is a superb testament to
's tremendous talents, and an album any fan of vintage
soul
will revel in. ~ Mark Deming