Jerry Butler feat. Brenda Lee Eager – Ain’t Understanding Mellow
Jerry Butler – Walk Easy My Son
Jerry Butler – The Girl In His Mind
Been meaning to post this up too for quite some time, not just while I’ve been on a bit of hiatus lately, but way way before. I’d mentioned this album back in 2009 when I posted the Lost Generation’s “Sly, Slick & Wicked” 45, and how I’d been surprised the first time I’d heard that record, because I recognized the background music from a song on this album from former Impressions singer Jerry Butler. I’m not sure why they decided to bring that rhythm back, but I’m glad they did. “Ain’t Understanding Mellow” has the arrangement, but it’s clear that the same players from this album have re-recorded the track, which gives it a heavier feeling. I’ve had this in my collection ever since I took on most of the records from our family collection and it’s likely been around in our family since before I got here. It wasn’t until a little while ago that I realized what a sad and depressing record this is. I’d originally thought “Mellow” was two people being thankful for their love, instead it’s actually one of the oddest break-up songs that I’ve ever heard, the sonic equivalent of “I think we both know this isn’t gonna work out, let’s just be friends.” When I was getting ready to post this one here, I noticed how many of the other songs also carry strangely depressing, though poignant messages, “Walk Easy My Son,” is essentially a version of “The Talk” where the father is warning his son about all the dangers of the world, “The Girl In His Mind” should be romantic, but it’s a song where two people are dreaming of each other, but don’t know each other, live in two different cities and don’t get together at the end of the song, so we’re left with the girl still just being in the dude’s mind. Despite the sentiments in the lyrics, its really the production for the album that keeps bringing me back, you’d think Dale Warren and Popcorn Wylie were behind this one just because of the spacing and the darker tones that are brought out, but no, it mostly the usual Chicago suspects involved with Butler. Solid sounds and a worthy addition to any Chicago soul aficionado’s collection.
Cheers,
Michael