Dan Penn Do Right Man CD

In an age of wretched excess, listening to DO RIGHT MAN is like receiving a postcard from a long lost friend. A legendary figure from the golden age of soul who first emerged in the late '50s, Dan Penn is best known as a songwriter, having penned such classics as "Cry Like A Baby," "I'm Your Puppet" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man." Here, on ten superb arrangements, Dan Penn demonstrates that there's a world of difference between celebrating sensuality and writing something truly sexy, between dropping beats and laying down a collective groove, between screaming histrionics and subtle, soulful expression.

Penn's voice is a gruff malleable instrument, capable of tremendous emotional twists and turns, but it's the depth of his sincerity that stands out on confessional tunes such as "Cry Like A Man," "It Tears Me Up" and "You Left The Water Running." And on his touching rendition of "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," Penn achieves a dark, poignant intensity of expression that can even hold its own--thank you very much--with the classic Aretha Franklin rendition we all know and love. But then, there isn't a single tune on DO RIGHT MAN that doesn't have that classic aura--this is the real thing.

Live Recording

Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Sheffield, Alabama. Includes liner notes by Peter Guralnick.

Personnel: Dan Penn (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar); Jimmy Johnson (guitar, electric guitar); Gary Nicholson (guitar, resonator guitar); Reggie Young (guitar); Doug Moffet (flute, baritone saxophone, horns); Doug Moffett (flute, baritone saxophone); Delbert McClinton (harmonica); Harvey Thompson (tenor saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet); Charles Rose (trombone); Spooner Oldham (piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ, Mellotron, glockenspiel); Bobby Emmons (piano, organ); David Briggs , Carson Whitsett (electric piano, Wurlitzer organ); Roger Hawkins (drums, bongos, tambourine); Florence Flash (drums, finger cymbals, maracas, triangle, wood block); Cindy Richardson, Cindy Richardson Walker, George Soulé, Lenny LeBlanc, Ava Aldridge, Buzz Cason (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Johnny Sandlin.

Liner Note Author: Peter Guralnick.

Recording information: Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Sh.

Photographers: David Gahr; Roy Cunningham.

Personnel: Dan Penn (vocals, acoustic guitar); Reggie Young (acoustic & electric guitars); Jimmy Johnson, Gary Nicholson (guitar); Doug Moffet (flute, baritone saxophone); Delbert McClinton (harmonica); Harvey Thompson (tenor saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet); Charles Rose (trombone); Spooner Oldham (piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron, glockenspiel); Bobby Emmons (piano, organ); David Briggs, Carson Whitsett (electric piano); David Hood (bass); Roger Hawkins, Florence Flash (drums, percussion); Ava Aldridge, Cindy Richards-Walker, Lenny LeBlanc, Buzz Cason, George Soule (background vocals).

Rolling Stone (6/16/94, p.110) - 3 1/2 Stars - Good Plus - "...the feel of a lost soul collection from the '60s. And in many ways, Dan Penn is the lost soulman...DO RIGHT MAN never feels like a re-creation of a dead style. Rather, it's the long-delayed emergence of a major talent...."
Q (10/94, p.124) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...this is just the kind of Southern soul they're not supposed to make anymore..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/95, p.50) - Included in Mojo's "25 Best Albums of 1994" - "One of the unsung heroes of Southern soul finally got his dues with this Muscle Shoals - recorded album of classic ballads..."