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The name Etta James goes back in my memory to associations with my first listening to rock music on the old transistor radio in the late 1950's. Well, we live and learn.The stand outs here include: the rocking "I Just Want To Make Love To You," the saucy "Something's Got A Hold Of Me," and an inspired "Sweet Little Angel". At that time, I believe, her music was in the old doo wop tradition of the late 1950's, a music that I was fairly soon to dismiss out of hand as the `bubble gum' music that was prevalent in that period between the height of Elvis/Jerry Lee/Carl Perkins classic rock & rock and the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. That is where things were left until a dozen years ago or more when Etta `stole the show' at the Newport Folk Festival. But the real story here is this is five star Etta.
James was still alive until all of the brouhaha over Beyonce performance of "At Last" came up and that brought me to this CD.Etta rocks and rolls through two performance dates recorded in 1963 at The New Era Club in Nashville, TN. ETTA JAMES ROCKS THE HOUSE is one rip-roaring CD that has become one of my favorite "live" albums next to Live and More and Live Concert at the Forum--both by two other divas.Anyway, I only knew of Etta James through her standard "At Last" (At Last). Her voice is a powerhouse and she snarls, scats, howls, and croons through all eleven tracks. and let me tell you that, that was only the tip-of-the-iceberg. In fact, I didn't even know Ms. I love her take of "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Something's Got A Hold On Me." And you hear the crowd hooting and hollering their appreciation at this magnificent performer that you can't help stamping your foot and cheering, too. Her take on "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" rivals Tina Turner's version with Ike, and yet Etta's voice can be equally effective on the lament "All I Could Do Is Cry." If you enjoy those steel-belted divas with power house voices that hold nothing back and can really get down, ETTA JAMES ROCKS THE HOUSE is an album/CD that is a must have.
What a voice. I really hadn't listened to Etta James before, but recently heard a couple of her songs on [.]. She reminds me a little of Tina Turner when she was with Ike. - well, I liked them and decided to get a cd. This woman really does Rock the House. I think Janis Joplin may have been influenced somewhat by Etta James. I'm very happy with my purchase.
An absolute masterpiece. I listen to it over and over and I am still amazed at the energy and creativeness she puts in each song. There is one slow song on the cd that kind of breaks the rockin' mood, but it is still an awesome cd, one of my all time favorites.
The Beatles made a hit out of it in '63 only after this show. Just 25 years old and in full power, Live.The audience is up screaming and dancing from the first number and Etta immediately slides into the sexiest version of Jimmy Reed's Baby, Any Way You Want Me To Do, giving the song all new meaning. You can feel the party; folks are screaming, Etta's steaming, the whole country was still reeling from her '61 At Last. Oh, what a feeling.
Oh, Etta sings some beautiful blues, you know, but she can rip out some heart-wrenching gutteral gospel, too; it's all here in this one-night show. One of the greatest live club recordings in Blues, and the only one from Etta's early career. They've Etta James to thank for warming Americans up to the beat.The house stays on their feet keeping the floor wet though a rocking bluesy Seven Day Fool and they don't get a rest till the guitarist gets to put on a show of his own with Sweet Little Angel; a B.B. You can imagine a mixed crowd of revelers, drinks and smokes set down now, see 'em Twisting in front of the band and throughout the aisles. Just four years earlier Ray Charles topped the charts with What I Say, and Etta belts it out true to form with all the flavor Ray gave it, and the audience is absolutely enthralled.
King classic, sung by Etta "with a feeling" as Little Walter wrote and Paul Butterfield so famously quoted and promoted. Back to B.B. recording that will also knock your shoes off and have you rocking the house yourself. The first set ends here and we break for drinks.Encore time. You are right there with them on this recording.
She puts The Beatles to shame on Money (That's What I Want), and beat them to it here, rocking out to the tune originally recorded by Motown writer Barrett Strong in 1959. Ooh Poo Pah Doo gets the fans all riled up and dancing again. King for Woke Up This Morning in rockin' double time, and Etta finishes off her party sending everyone home sweaty and in the mood with another Jimmy Reed classic, Ain't That Lovin' You Baby.Oh, Baby, what a night.
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