McLemore Avenue

by Booker T. & the MG's

Overview

Booker T. Jones was so taken with the Beatles' Abbey Road, he claims he had to respond, just to say "thanks." He convened the MG's -- drummer Al Jackson Jr., bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, and guitarist Steve Cropper, and recorded McLemore Avenue, a cover version of the entire Abbey Road album in three long medleys (that approximated the structure of the Beatles' album -- particularly its second side) with a cover of George Harrison's "Something" set aside as a single. The MG's even aped the Beatles' cover photo, with one of them strolling down McLemore Avenue, the home of Stax Records. Booker T. & the MG's turned an already hip record into one that was funky as hell, and one that kept listeners guessing by rearranging the order of the tunes to suit the MG's as a band. The set begins with a medley of "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End/Here Comes the Sun/Come Together." The juxtaposition of the first two cuts is jarring but seamless. The quartet nails "The End," with fine soloing from Cropper and heated work from Jones on organ and electric piano, before a crescendo and a Moog intros "Here Comes the Sun," done as a summery Jimmy Smith-styled jazz number before turning all sinister on "Come Together." "Something" may have seemed a curious choice for a single, but with Cropper's greasy, bluesy guitar break and Jones playing his organ rhythmically more than melodically, it works beautifully. "Because," wedded to "You Never Give Me Your Money," is a spacious blend of melody and psychedelic groove, setting up the final medley. It is the set's tour de force, commencing with a shimmering "Sun King," before Jackson's drums announce a sprightly, funky "Mean Mr. Mustard" that careens into the guitar overdrive of "Polythene Pam" and the breezy "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," which morphs into a dramatic, blues-drenched, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" to close it out. Not only is McLemore Avenue a stellar interpretation of Abbey Road, it's one of the finest Booker T. & the MG's albums to boot. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	04/05/2011
Label:	Stax
UPC:	0025218855211
Rank:	34708

Tracks

1. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End/Here Comes The Sun/Come Together
2. Something
3. Because/You Never Give Me Your Money
4. Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window/I Want You (She's So Heavy)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Booker T. & the MG's   Primary Artist
Donald "Duck" Dunn   Bass (Electric)
Al Jackson, Jr.   Drums
Steve Cropper   Guitar
Booker T. Jones   Organ,Piano

Technical Credits

Paul McCartney   Composer
Rik Pekkonen   Engineer
George Harrison   Composer
John Fry   Remixing
John Lennon   Composer
Ron Capone   Engineer
Steve Cropper   Remixing
Booker T. & the MG's   Arranger,Producer
Joel Brodsky   Photography
Gordon Rudd   Engineer
Phil De Lancie   Digital Mastering
David Krieger   Art Direction
The Graffiteria   Art Direction
Herb Kole   Art Supervisor