Johnnie Taylor - The Johnnie Taylor Philosophy Continues 1969

Johnnie Taylor Philosophy Continues shows the former Soul Stirrers' versatility, but a mediocre effort overall for Johnnie. Producer Don Davis' attempt to widen Taylor's appeal resulted in an album of watered-down Southern soul. Fans didn't expect Taylor-ized versions of "Love Is a Hurting Thing," "Who Can I Turn To," or "Games People Play," nor were they appreciated. He charted with "I Could Never Be President," but the song's appeal escapes some, even though David Ruffin redid it on his Doin' His Thing album. "Love Bones" and "It's Amazing" are the best soul offerings, but "I Had a Fight with Love" and "Separation Line" are mundane and formulaic. Taylor's rendition of Parliament's "I Wanna Testify" made an impact on the charts, and is interesting, but his voice was worthy of better. Everybody and their mama must have recorded "It's Your Thing," but none seem to be able to touch the Isleys' stomping original. AMG.

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Johnnie Taylor - Who's Making Love 1968

The song "Who's Making Love?" was among Johnnie Taylor's biggest chart hits, with Taylor's tough but impassioned vocal supported by a potently energetic performance by the usual Stax Records crew (including Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, and the Memphis Horns. But Who's Making Love, the album assembled to accompany the single, is for the most part dominated by more measured and blues-based material. While "Take Care of Your Homework" generates a potent groove (and reads like a sequel to "Who's Making Love"), and "Hold on This Time" is a remarkably successful emulation of the Motown production style, for the most part, Who's Making Love suggests Taylor was most comfortable with slow, sorrowful laments such as "Can't Trust Your Neighbor" and "Poor Make Believer," and while these tunes lack the dancefloor drive of Taylor's uptempo hits, no one can deny he knows how to make the most of the dramatic sweep of a tale of love gone wrong, and his tales of lovers gone astray (and paying the price) carry a weight not unlike that of his earlier gospel period. Who's Making Love captures some of the high points of Taylor's career as a Southern soul man, and finds him nodding to his past and well as his future in his search for inspiration. AMG.

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Johnnie Taylor - Raw Blues 1969

While the "Raw" part of the title may be overstating the case just a bit, "Blues" describes this disc pretty well, thank you -- on his fourth album, Johnnie Taylor shifts his focus away from Stax's trademark Southern soul stylings towards leaner and grittier blues-based performances, a style he'd already shown a knack for on his earlier sets. Raw Blues still walks a line between soul and blues, with the sweet-and-sour tone of The Memphis Horns sometimes stacking the deck in favor of the former, but "Part Time Love", "Hello Sundown" and "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" generate a potent late-night mood vibe which match the downcast authority of Taylor's voice. And if the always air-tight performances of the Stax studio crew (including Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes) pack enough heat to turn "You Can't Win With A Losing Hand" and "That Bone" into potent dance floor material, Taylor's rough but passionate delivery never lets this get too close to the Land of the Slick. A strong and heartfelt set that serves as an important precursor to Taylor's later blues-oriented sets for Malaco. AMG.

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Johnnie Taylor - Who's Making Love 1968

The song "Who's Making Love?" was among Johnnie Taylor's biggest chart hits, with Taylor's tough but impassioned vocal supported by a potently energetic performance by the usual Stax Records crew (including Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, and the Memphis Horns. But Who's Making Love, the album assembled to accompany the single, is for the most part dominated by more measured and blues-based material. While "Take Care of Your Homework" generates a potent groove (and reads like a sequel to "Who's Making Love"), and "Hold on This Time" is a remarkably successful emulation of the Motown production style, for the most part, Who's Making Love suggests Taylor was most comfortable with slow, sorrowful laments such as "Can't Trust Your Neighbor" and "Poor Make Believer," and while these tunes lack the dancefloor drive of Taylor's uptempo hits, no one can deny he knows how to make the most of the dramatic sweep of a tale of love gone wrong, and his tales of lovers gone astray (and paying the price) carry a weight not unlike that of his earlier gospel period.Who's Making Love captures some of the high points of Taylor's career as a Southern soul man, and finds him nodding to his past and well as his future in his search for inspiration. AMG.

listen here

Buy @ Amazon: USA - FR - UK