Memphis Rock and Soul -- meaning the kind of integrated, funky, swampy R&B-rock hybrid cranked out of Memphis' American Sound Studio in the late '60s, music that often saw release on the Stax imprint -- is certainly well within the wheelhouse of Melissa Etheridge, who has emphasized the bluesy, soulful undercurrent in her voice since her eponymous 1988 debut.
Arriving nearly 30 years after that album, Memphis Rock and Soul -- released on a revived Stax by Concord Records -- is faithful and loving to the original versions, preserving the arrangements but sometimes allowing the band to vamp a bit, as on Sam & Dave's "Hold on, I'm Coming." Usually, Etheridge stays with tried-and-true songs, finding space for both Otis Redding and Albert King, but she slides a couple of left-field choices into the mix, such as William Bell's "Wait a Minute." If Etheridge doesn't necessarily rework these songs, these straightforward interpretations illustrate why the catalog endures and her affection for both the songs and sound of Southern soul in the '60s is evident.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis TrainMack Rice, Willie Sparks, Rufus Thomas | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | Respect Yourself (People Stand Up)Melissa Etheridge, Luther Ingram, Priscilla Renea, Mack Rice | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 04:25 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Who's Making LoveHomer Banks, Bettye Crutcher, Don Davis, Raymond Jackson | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 03:51 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | Hold on, I'm ComingIsaac Hayes, David Porter | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 03:23 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)Jerry Butler, Otis Redding | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | Any Other WayWilliam Bell | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 03:23 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | I'm a LoverJohn Burk, Melissa Etheridge, Lowell Fulsom, Jimmy McCracklin | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 03:05 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | Rock Me BabyJoe Josea, B.B. King | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | I Forgot to Be Your LoverWilliam Bell, Booker T. Jones | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 04:51 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | Wait a MinuteBarbara Stephens | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 02:55 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 11 | Born Under a Bad SignWilliam Bell, Booker T. Jones | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 04:36 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 12 | I've Got Dreams to RememberOtis Redding, Zelma Redding | Melissa Etheridge | Play | 04:29 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 47 mins | 109 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homer Banks | Composer |
| 2 | William Bell | Composer |
| 3 | Paul Blakemore | Mastering |
| 4 | Stefanie Bolton | Vocals (Background) |
| 5 | John Burk | Composer, Executive Producer, Producer |
| 6 | Jerry Butler | Composer |
| 7 | Yennifer Correia | Violin |
| 8 | Bettye Crutcher | Composer |
| 9 | Don Davis | Composer |
| 10 | Melissa Etheridge | Composer, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 11 | Michael Fahey | Mixing Assistant |
| 12 | Theron Feemster | Programming |
| 13 | Marc Franklin | Trumpet |
| 14 | Lowell Fulsom | Composer |
| 15 | Isaac Hayes | Composer |
| 16 | Leroy Hodges | Bass |
| 17 | Mary Hogan | A&R |
| 18 | Luther Ingram | Composer |
| 19 | Raymond Jackson | Composer |
| 20 | Booker T. Jones | Composer |
| 21 | Joe Josea | Composer |
| 22 | B.B. King | Composer |
| 23 | Jonathan Kirkscey | Cello |
| 24 | Beth Luscombe | Viola |
| 25 | Jimmy McCracklin | Composer |
| 26 | Lannie McMillan | Saxophone |
| 27 | Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell | Engineer |
| 28 | Jessie Munson | Violin |
| 29 | David Porter | Composer |
| 30 | Vance Powell | Mixing |
| 31 | Seth Presant | Engineer |
| 32 | Otis Redding | Composer |
| 33 | Zelma Redding | Composer |
| 34 | Priscilla Renea | Composer |
| 35 | Mack Rice | Composer |
| 36 | Myriam Santos | Photography |
| 37 | Carrie Smith | Art Direction, Design |
| 38 | Kirk Smothers | Sax (Baritone) |
| 39 | Jim Spake | Sax (Tenor) |
| 40 | Willie Sparks | Composer |
| 41 | Barbara Stephens | Composer |
| 42 | Rufus Thomas | Composer |
| 43 | Michael Toles | Guitar |
| 44 | Archie Turner | Keyboards |
Melissa Etheridge
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |