#1123 The Bar-Kays - Soul Finger

Before most of the member of the band met with tragedy, they cut this album, which unsurprisingly sounds like their Stax-backing ancestors, Booker T. and the M.G.'s, but with the sound exploded out, with far more rockist energy, some of that Go Team punch, all horns and organs and guitars and crowd noise, so many ideas lashing out in every direction while the whole thing moves effortlessly as one, a rager on a riverboat. This is one of the more joyous albums I've heard in a while, with some of that Fabulous Wailers post-R&B bop, some deep funk, some smooth soul, as fine and brilliant a final bandwide blaze of glory you'll find this side of The Exploding Hearts 4.5/5