Description
Mad Lads front man John Gary Williams offers a blend of message music, love ballads
and reinterpreted covers on this 1973 solo release denied glory by the distribution woes
that soon after ruined STAX Records. The 2017 reissue, cut on the same lathe that
pumped much landmark soul into the world, brims with lush strings and the talents of
many iconic Memphis artists including drummer Willie Hall and the “Hot Buttered Soul”
singers. Williams’ falsetto offers contrasting worldviews, from the groove-driven “I See
Hope” to the enduring “The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy.” Yet thoughts on the
ladies reign supreme, with three other Williams originals and covers of The Spinners’
“How Could I Let You Get Away,” The Four Tops’ “Ask the Lonely” and the Bobby
Goldsboro country-pop hit “Honey.”
Read Chris Davis’ review of the reissue from The Memphis Flyer.
