Stax Records Week (pt 5)
The Devoted Son of Blues:
"Stax Profiles" - Little Milton
Little Milton's pseudonym hardly does him justice. The blues, R&B and soul performer's voice is by no means little. That rasp, that deep voice of a man done wrong, is all too available to nestle up to on the Stax Records release of his songs. Not only does the Mississippi native's voice melt in your ears, but the former James Milton Campbell has been strumming away on the guitar since the age of 12. Three years later, he was picking up paid gigs at area venues.
Blues was in Little Milton's blood - his father, Big Milton, was a sharecropper and Delta blues performer. And, speaking of blood, Little Milton owes some of his success to Ike Turner, who, after hearing Milton perform, had a hand in landing Milton his first contract with Sun Records in 1953. From there Milton bobbed through the waves of various music labels before landing at Stax in 1971. He had already acquired a number of hits at the Checker label, but continued to expand his sound by incorporating different influences into his music during his 4-year stint at Stax.
The Blues Hall-of-Famer busts out his best early on the recently-released Stax Profiles record with the live version of "Let Me Down Easy," the best song on the album. The slow beat and hushed instrumental accompaniment really show the strength of Milton's voice. The powerful belts of the soul great are the warm slippers we wear after a long day, or the menthol cigarette we smoke after dealing with the pricks of the world. Listening to that voice is an indulgence. "Let Me Down Easy" makes that agitation and frustration that no one understands relatable to all colors and creeds. If that isn't reason enough to spend some alone time with the song, Milton's voice strikes this subtle, insanely high note about five minutes into the song and he holds it for... wait for it... wait for it... 22 seconds! And then he just lets it rip. Now tell me that's not spectacular.
As a new listener, after hearing "Easy," I'm in for the long haul. "I Can't Quit You Baby" follows "Easy," and goes through two and a half minutes of Milton's guitar riff before the familiar voice finds its way to your soul. Milton, who passed away in October 2005, was an excellent live performer and it's obvious through this version of "I Can't Quit You," which was also recorded live in the early 1970s. He ends the almost 8-minute song with this crazy guitar-plucking the likes of which I've never heard before. Literally plucking. He made plucking sound good. That's talent.
Stax shows off Milton's variety of talents through 14 songs. Although none of them piqued my adoration like "Let Me Down Easy," all have their own face. The fifth song on the album, "Blind Man," also recorded live, welcomes the high-pitched tremor. At the end of the feat, the audience cheers him on, adding to the suspense he's created by this magical talent he has. He sings dialogue to the audience, at one point singing, "I bet most of ya, most of ya here tonight (brief pause) are loving someone else's baby." The crowd responds with applause and cheers. Obviously, print doesn't account for the eminence of his performance.
"The Thrill is Gone," a better known work of Milton's follows "Blind Man" and sets the melancholy mood within the first 10 seconds. It follows what appears to be Milton's music theme of a woman who can't seem to keep herself to one man. Except in this song, the thrill is most definitely gone. He repeats: "I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free," and basically it's liberating, he's over this whore of a woman who makes an appearance in all his songs. Finally, the album is rounded out with a number of similarly-themed songs, including the relatively upbeat "Tin Pan Alley," classic "Blue Monday," and subdued "Little Bluebird."
What makes Milton's music so profound is not only his remarkable voice and all-out musical talent, but his ability to connect on a genuine level with his audience. On his edition of the "Stax Profiles" series - especially with the preponderance of live cuts - that ability is very much in evidence.
In celebration of the recently-released Stax Profiles series, the Modern Pea Pod is hosting Stax Records Week. In the following days, we'll cover discs by Otis Redding, Booker T. & The M.G.'s, Rance Allen, Johnnie Taylor, and the Staple Singers, all of them specially compiled by noted musical figures from Elvis Costello to Steve Cropper. Watch this page for updates!
Chosen as a Blogcritics Editors' Pick for May 17-23, 2006
Official Site
Buy Stax Profiles: Little Milton
on Amazon
See Also: Really Big Milton
Little Milton's pseudonym hardly does him justice. The blues, R&B and soul performer's voice is by no means little. That rasp, that deep voice of a man done wrong, is all too available to nestle up to on the Stax Records release of his songs. Not only does the Mississippi native's voice melt in your ears, but the former James Milton Campbell has been strumming away on the guitar since the age of 12. Three years later, he was picking up paid gigs at area venues.Blues was in Little Milton's blood - his father, Big Milton, was a sharecropper and Delta blues performer. And, speaking of blood, Little Milton owes some of his success to Ike Turner, who, after hearing Milton perform, had a hand in landing Milton his first contract with Sun Records in 1953. From there Milton bobbed through the waves of various music labels before landing at Stax in 1971. He had already acquired a number of hits at the Checker label, but continued to expand his sound by incorporating different influences into his music during his 4-year stint at Stax.
The Blues Hall-of-Famer busts out his best early on the recently-released Stax Profiles record with the live version of "Let Me Down Easy," the best song on the album. The slow beat and hushed instrumental accompaniment really show the strength of Milton's voice. The powerful belts of the soul great are the warm slippers we wear after a long day, or the menthol cigarette we smoke after dealing with the pricks of the world. Listening to that voice is an indulgence. "Let Me Down Easy" makes that agitation and frustration that no one understands relatable to all colors and creeds. If that isn't reason enough to spend some alone time with the song, Milton's voice strikes this subtle, insanely high note about five minutes into the song and he holds it for... wait for it... wait for it... 22 seconds! And then he just lets it rip. Now tell me that's not spectacular.As a new listener, after hearing "Easy," I'm in for the long haul. "I Can't Quit You Baby" follows "Easy," and goes through two and a half minutes of Milton's guitar riff before the familiar voice finds its way to your soul. Milton, who passed away in October 2005, was an excellent live performer and it's obvious through this version of "I Can't Quit You," which was also recorded live in the early 1970s. He ends the almost 8-minute song with this crazy guitar-plucking the likes of which I've never heard before. Literally plucking. He made plucking sound good. That's talent.
Stax shows off Milton's variety of talents through 14 songs. Although none of them piqued my adoration like "Let Me Down Easy," all have their own face. The fifth song on the album, "Blind Man," also recorded live, welcomes the high-pitched tremor. At the end of the feat, the audience cheers him on, adding to the suspense he's created by this magical talent he has. He sings dialogue to the audience, at one point singing, "I bet most of ya, most of ya here tonight (brief pause) are loving someone else's baby." The crowd responds with applause and cheers. Obviously, print doesn't account for the eminence of his performance.
"The Thrill is Gone," a better known work of Milton's follows "Blind Man" and sets the melancholy mood within the first 10 seconds. It follows what appears to be Milton's music theme of a woman who can't seem to keep herself to one man. Except in this song, the thrill is most definitely gone. He repeats: "I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free," and basically it's liberating, he's over this whore of a woman who makes an appearance in all his songs. Finally, the album is rounded out with a number of similarly-themed songs, including the relatively upbeat "Tin Pan Alley," classic "Blue Monday," and subdued "Little Bluebird."
What makes Milton's music so profound is not only his remarkable voice and all-out musical talent, but his ability to connect on a genuine level with his audience. On his edition of the "Stax Profiles" series - especially with the preponderance of live cuts - that ability is very much in evidence.
In celebration of the recently-released Stax Profiles series, the Modern Pea Pod is hosting Stax Records Week. In the following days, we'll cover discs by Otis Redding, Booker T. & The M.G.'s, Rance Allen, Johnnie Taylor, and the Staple Singers, all of them specially compiled by noted musical figures from Elvis Costello to Steve Cropper. Watch this page for updates!
Chosen as a Blogcritics Editors' Pick for May 17-23, 2006
Official Site
Buy Stax Profiles: Little Milton
on AmazonSee Also: Really Big Milton
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