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Aside from Ella's characteristically crystal clear delivery
and lovely voice, I really like the rather unexpected organ in this version. The whole thing is just so mellow and pleasing! Not sure where this particular version is from, but it's just
Randy and his piano, no band like the album version. It's more immediate and spontaneous, and feels a bit rushed, but not in a bad way. And while we're talking versions, here's another, which is probably not the best arrangement for the song or for Newman's voice, but should be heard at least once, I reckon, by any and all diehard fans. That Roy, he definitely had his own thing. I've never been
a huge fan, myself, but I find his delivery here to be more to my tastes than usual. Love the strings, too. Truly classic soul from the undisputed master. Just the
raw essentials, which was all that was needed. Ol' Tex gets a guided tour of the Great Beyond, where he
meets "all the stars". Country and Western name checking doesn't get any better than this! The sung bits are kinda horrible, though. What in the world were they thinking with those dopey melodies? Psychedelic grooviness, maaan.
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Fine gospel-inflected soul from the master, Solomon Burke.
I miss R&B waltzes, which no one seems to do anymore. And sweet organ here, too. This live version from the wonderful Kiko release is very
true to the album original. Consummate pros, those Los lobos guys. Just so damn good. Icy cold synths! Soulless machine beats! It seems so
incredibly dated! Tell the truth, it somehow seemed dated to me when it was brand new... but I sure do like Annie Lennox's voice. John Littlejohn: not the most household of names in the
world of blues, but he had a full-on sound from both his voice and his guitar, both of which he works to good effect in this dreamy number. Nice to hear Hank Williams' intoning delivery on this
(mostly) spoken word tear-jerker. An enigmatic little ditty from Dylan. Well, dreams often are.
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