| features in: Album Chart of 1971 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s |
Helping to plug the gap left by the demise of Otis Redding, O.V. Wright was keeping the Southern Soul flag flying proudly in 1971 with this thoroughly decent offering. The album features 10 single sides – past, future and present – including, as the title suggests, last years’ “Ace Of Spades” and this years’ “A Nickel And A Nail”. The tempos are split down the middle, 50% for the dancefloor and 50% for late night, bluesy, contemplation. His group are very fine indeed; production duties were handled by Willie Mitchell at his Royal Recording Studio in Memphis. The Hi Records Rhythm Section and the Memphis Horns providing the backing impeccably; tangibly effervescent or believably mournful as required. Best for dancefloor action is “Ace Of Spades”. It’s pretty much impossible to stay still when this funky rhythm section takes effect; bright horns, phat bass, screamin’ vocal – it’s got the lot. The only track which is out-of-date is “Eight Men, Four Women”, a single which first saw the light of day away back in ’67. It’s the best of the lonely and blue ballads on here; in his dreams, the jury finds our man guilty of love. The gospel girls wail, as the sax whimpers and a low-down organ pleas “Have mercy on this soul!”
The Jukebox Rebel
13–Jun–2012
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [03:05]  O.V. Wright - Don’t Let My Baby Ride (Donald Robey, Overton Vertis Wright) Soul |
| A2 | [03:20]  O.V. Wright - Born All Over (Donald Robey, Johnny Copeland) Soul Ballad |
| A3 | [02:15]  O.V. Wright - Ace Of Spades [main version] (Donald Robey) Soul |
| A4 | [03:00]  O.V. Wright - Eight Men, Four Women (Donald Robey) Soul Ballad |
| A5 | [03:09]  O.V. Wright - He Made Woman For Man (Donald Robey, Vernon Morrison) Soul |
| B1 | [03:12] O.V. Wright - I Can’t Take It (Don Bryant) Soul Ballad |
| B2 | [03:46] O.V. Wright - Afflicted (James Seawood, Overton Vertis Wright) Soul Ballad |
| B3 | [03:07] O.V. Wright - When You Took Your Love From Me (Donald Robey) Soul Ballad |
| B4 | [03:44]  O.V. Wright - A Nickel And A Nail (Donald Robey, Vernon Morrison) Soul |
| B5 | [03:58] O.V. Wright - Don’t Take It Away (Don Bryant, Herman Starling) Soul Ballad |
