Roy Lee Johnson & The Villagers (LP)

Details

An unsung monster from the waning hours of the Stax empire, Roy Lee Johnson & The Villagers' eponymous LP is as funky as anything the label ever released. While its sound is unmistakably Stax -- its elegant yet earthy sensibility couldn't come from anywhere else -- the music expands on the formula via tight, hypnotic grooves and scorching guitar licks. The up-tempo "I Can't Stand This Loneliness" is the unqualified highlight, but there's not a bum note to be found here -- everything works, from the relentless opener "Patch It Up" to the lovely ballad "Something Special."

Tracklist

Side A

1. Patch It Up
2. I'll Be Your Doctor Man
3. Something Special
4. I Can't Stand This Loneliness
5. The Dryer (Part 2)

Side B

1. Don't Tell Me Nothing About My Woman
2. Razorback Circus
3. Robot
4. Midnight At Riley's
5. The Dryer (Part 1)

Features

• First availability of the LP on vinyl since its release in 1973