The Chambers Brothers - Now! (Vault, 1966; 2007)

The second Chambers Brothers album to be released on Vault while they were still apparently signed to the label, Now! is another live LP that, like People Get Ready, was believed to have been recorded at the Unicorn in Boston and the Ash Grove in Los Angeles. Even though the booklet notes suggest that this record was released after their move to Columbia in 1967 (and having huge success with "The Time Has Come Today"), several discographies indicate that it came out in 1966. Does anybody who is reading this know which is correct? Regardless, these performances were likely to have been recorded later than the material that appeared on the preceding album, which would mean they date from 1965 or early 1966. Overall, this is a stronger collection of songs, and the brothers rock even more assuredly this time around.

L TO R: LESTER CHAMBERS, WILLIE CHAMBERS, JOE CHAMBERS,
& UNKNOWN WHITE DRUMMER

As with People Get Ready, the tracks consist of blues, rock, and soul numbers from the late 1950s and early 1960s. While hardly innovative, these performances can still be greatly appreciated for their straightforwardness and lack of pretension. Music like this just sounds so natural coming from four black brothers from rural Mississippi who had grown up in poverty. Things start off strongly with a take on "High Heel Sneakers," which had been a hit for Tommy Tucker only a year or two before, and this high standard is maintained throughout the album. Rightly recognized for their outstanding vocal harmonies, the Chambers use them to excellent effect on "Baby Please Don't Go" (which is actually a cover of James Brown's "Please, Please, Please") and "What'd I Say," with the latter being this album's finest moment. No matter how many times you've heard this Ray Charles classic, the group manages to make this eight-minute version sound fresh and vibrant with their exquisite singing helping to take it to the next level. The same goes for "Long Tall Sally." No doubt you're quite familiar with Little Richard's original, but this is an engaging performance with Willie Chambers' solid lead guitar work taking the place of Mr. Penniman's frantic piano playing. "Bony Maronie" is a fine reworking of the Larry Williams tune, while "It's Groovin' Time," a good, bluesy song written by Joe Chambers, is the only track that is not a cover. Jimmy Reed's catalog is revisited on "You Don't Have to Go," which is played at a bit of a brisker pace than the original. It's hard to say who inspired the Chambers Brothers to do "C.C. Rider" since this song goes way, way back, but they certainly do it justice. The closer, "So Fine" (originally done by the Fiestas), is drawn out perhaps just a bit too long, but the group's superb vocal chops will help you ignore such trivial matters.

1. Introduction to
2. High Heel Sneakers
3. Baby Please Don't Go
4. What'd I Say
5. Long Tall Sally
6. Bony Maronie
7. It's Groovin' Time
8. You Don't Have to Go
9. C.C. Rider
10. So Fine