Eddie Floyd: Knock On Wood - 1967

In the sixties, soul music albums were often merely vehicles for singles, populated with throwaway “filler” along with these copper-bottomed hits. This was certainly true, but this album was not one of them. It is overflowing with great Southern soul songs - gritty, earthy but catchy Stax-style soul at its very best. 

The sound quality, for 1967, is outstanding - bassy, thumping and featuring nice stereo separation. Amazingly, this was Floyd’s debut album. What a fine one it was too. The musicians were Booker T & The MGs, with Isaac Hayes adding extra keyboards and piano, so that gave it a head start. 

Knock On Wood is, of course, well-known. Covered live by David Bowie in 1974, it is a glorious helping of Memphis horn-powered kick ass soul with a catchy hook of a chorus. Something You Got is slightly slower but has a dignified sound to it. Once again the horns play a big part, as does the bluesy piano. But It’s Alright is just upliftingly wonderful, full of lively pop/funk rhythm, killer horns, fatback drums and a great vocal from Eddie. I Stand Accused, later covered by Isaac Hayes, is a perfect slow soul ballad. 

If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody is mined from the same seam. The tempo ups again on the lively I Don’t Want To Cry and then Raise Your Hand, memorably covered live by Bruce Springsteen in the mid-eighties. Southside Johnny and Steve Van Zandt will have loved stuff like this as they grew up. A fine half hour this has been, indeed. Quality muscular soul all the way, not a duff track on there.