Album of the Day

Soul shouter Wilson Pickett had a good ear for material and was not averse to looking for it on rock radio; HEY JUDE includes a fantastically funky version of the Beatles epic as well as Steppenwolf's “Born To Be Wild.” As an established hitmaker, Pickett also had his pick of songs from such gifted writers as Isaac Hayes, Bobby Womack and George Jackson for the 1969 Atlantic collection, so groovy vibes never overwhelm gritty R&B. Cut at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with producers Rick Hall and Tom Dowd, the album also features the talents of Duane Allman, whose taut guitar leads would soon elevate him from session work to headliner status. If ever there was a performer who could take a song and “make it better,” it's Wilson Pickett, and HEY JUDE is the proof of that.