Junior Walker

Motown's European division continues with their two-on-one CD reissue series, except that this time, for reasons best known to themselves, they've broken away from the chronological order of the original albums. Junior Walker & the All-Stars followed Road Runner with their 1967 live album, but the makers have skipped over the latter to pair off the 1966 album with 1969's Home Cookin'. The two LPs do make a logical and pleasing pairing on the same CD, showing off Walker at his most sophisticated and inventive all in one. Both LPs featured highly credible covers of other Motown artists' hits, among them "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," "Come See About Me," etc., juxtaposed with numbers written by or specifically for Walker -- either way, these albums gave the band (and most likely usually not Walker's own band) a chance to stretch out in ways that most of the label's release didn't, and to plunge head-first into blues and funk that were a long way from the company's more pop-oriented singles. The best thing on here is the four-plus minute "Ame Cherie (Soul Darling)," followed closely by "Mutiny" -- the repertoire from Home Cookin' is a little less focused, but with "Fannie Mae" and "The Things I Do for You" in there, no one is likely to complain. Two bonus tracks, the Holland-Dozier-Holland-authored B-side "Nothin' But Soul" and the previously unissued "Whiplash" -- the latter a soaring sax workout -- fill out the CD to just under 71 minutes. The sound is state-of-the-art digital and superior to anything heard on any of Walker's domestically issued CDs as of 2003. As is typical of this series, there are no notes but accurate release and chart information. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide