Booker T & The MG's Time Is Tight CD

3cds-Box Set Retrospective

Booker T. & The MG's: Booker T. Jones (vocals, trombone, organ, piano); Steve Cropper (guitar, percussion); Lewie Steinberg, Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass); Al Jackson, Jr. (drums).
Additional personnel: Neil Young (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Albert King (vocals, guitar); Boz Scaggs (vocals); G.E. Smith (guitar); Charles "Packy" Axton (tenor saxophone); Floyd Newman (baritone saxophone); Gene Parker, Wayne Jackson (trumpet); Isaac Hayes (piano, keybaords, cowbell); Leon Haywood (organ); William Allan (keyboards); Terry Manning (marimba); Earl Grant (bass); Anton Fig, Jim Keltner, Steve Potts (drums); Magnificent Montague (congas).
Producer: Booker T. & The MG's.
Compilation producers: Rob Bowman, Bill Belmont.
Recorded between 1962 and 1993. Includes liner notes by Bill Belmont and Rob Bowman.
Personnel: Neil Young (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Albert King (vocals, guitar); Booker T. Jones (vocals, trombone, piano, organ); Boz Scaggs (vocals); Steve Cropper (guitar, percussion); G.E. Smith (electric guitar); Charles "Packy" Axton (tenor saxophone); Floyd Newman (baritone saxophone); Gene Parker, Wayne Jackson (trumpet); Isaac Hayes (piano, keyboards, cowbells); Leon Haywood (organ); Terry Manning (marimba); Jim Keltner, Al Jackson, Jr., Anton Fig, Steve Potts (drums).
Audio Mixer: Tim Mulligan.
Audio Remasterer: Kirk Felton.
Liner Note Author: Rob Bowman.
Recording information: Concert Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (06/??/1962-07/03/1994); New York, NY (06/??/1962-07/03/1994); Pine Knob, MI (06/??/1962-07/03/1994); Stax Studios, Memphis, TN (06/??/1962-07/03/1994).
Photographer: Joel Brodsky.
Arranger: Booker T. & the MG's.
A three-CD, 65-song box set that includes all their hits from 1962 through 1971, in addition to numerous LP tracks and failed singles; the third disc is devoted entirely to previously unreleased live material (most from 1992-94) and rarities. Greatest-hits compilations will serve the needs of all but intense Booker T. and Stax fans. However, if you really dig their instrumental sound, this is a fine package. It might skip an odd worthy track from their catalog, but basically has just about everything deserving of attention, concentrating more on their original compositions than their covers. Some of the more obscure selections, like their jazzy 1967 LP cut "Pigmy" and their inventive 1969 cover of "Lady Madonna," are overlooked standouts. A number of sides here, like "Burnt Biscuits," "Fannie Mae," "Sunday Sermon," "MG Party," and the moody, dignified "Meditation," were never on album before. Other oddities fans will want to know about is a live medley of James Brown material from 1968, Albert King doing "Born Under a Bad Sign" with them live (also from 1968), a hit 1965 single ("Hole in the Wall") released under the name "the Packers," and "Booker's Theme," which was only available on the 1969 Stax various-artists sampler Soul Explosion. The 1992-94 live cuts (all previously unreleased), with various drummers in place of the late Al Jackson, show the band in decent though not amazing form, including a ten-minute jam on "Time Is Tight" and a version of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Neil Young on vocals. The booklet contains extensive liner notes by Stax Records authority Rob Bowman. ~ Richie Unterberger
Even though the average pop fan only knows Booker T and the MGs for their biggest Top 40 hit under their own name, the supremely funky instrumental "Green Onions," they were THE backing band of the '60s. Nearly every one of the classic Stax/Volt singles of this era--by Sam and Dave, Otis Redding and a seemingly endless list of others--features organist Booker T. Jones, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, superlative guitarist Steve Cropper and powerhouse drummer Al Jackson Jr.
TIME IS TIGHT collects most of the MGs' singles, plus unreleased goodies and live tracks; this three-disc set is the bedrock of Memphis soul. Booker T and the MGs wereMojo (Publisher) (1/99, p.102) - "...a must for any serious soul fan....these recordings sound incredibly fresh and provide the ultimate portrait of one of the grooviest instrumental bands ever."