Honky Tonk Popcorn

Liner Note Authors: Dean Rudland; Jim Wilson .
Recording information: King Studio, Cinncinatti, OH.
Photographer: Gilles Pétard.
More than a decade after scoring with the classic R&B instrumental "Honky Tonk," Bill Doggett teamed with producer James Brown to create "Honky Tonk Popcorn," a remarkably vital and relentlessly funky comeback effort on par with anything bearing the JB seal of approval. Doggett's laid-back, soulful organ fits perfectly within the context of Brown's dynamic funk arrangements. "Honky Tonk" is reborn as a ferocious groover, while "Honky Tonk Popcorn" invents the song yet again, this time with a galvanizing guitar lead. Covers of Edwin Starr's "Twenty Five Miles" and Otis Redding's "Mr. Pitiful" are no less incendiary, but what's most surprising is the energy of Doggett's new original material: "Mad" benefits from a monster drum break and a fiery saxophone solo, while the slow-burning "After Lunch" is as smooth and creamy as its title suggests. ~ Jason Ankeny