But they are what they are, and what they are above all is funky beyond belief. That wasn't what Rufus was about, though, and he'd doubtless be the first to point this out, were he still with us today. OK, so the lyrics and tunes ain't necessarily going to give Bacharach and David any serious competition in the 'works of art' department.
#Rufus thomas full
What it is, though, is a full-on farrago of funk, with Rufus and a batch of the best musicians Memphis ever produced - I'm talking Bar-Kays, MGs, Isaac Hayes Movement and Memphis Horns here, people! - working up a full head of dancefloor steam on 18 funky sides that, beat for beat, are a match for anything and everything that others from the Golden Age Of Funk could offer in retaliation, James Brown included. It's not a "Singles As And Bs", nor is it a "Best Of" - other Ace/Stax releases have already taken care of business in those departments. The Funkiest Man is Ace's affectionate tribute to one of the true legends of Memphis Soul, and a man whose Stax career ran for over a decade and a half, from the label's earliest days to its closing weeks. Don't believe me? Then take a listen to this CD. And as a purveyor of undiluted late 60s/early 70s Memphis funk, he had even fewer. As an entertainer, the man had precious few equals. After all, Rufus was still out there, putting the 'fun' in funk, when he was in his mid-80s, and doing the Funky Chicken at an age when doing the Times crossword would be the day's major exertion for most of us. It really did feel like The World's Oldest Teenager" had a shot at becoming "The World's First Hundred-Year-Old Teenager". We still can't believe he's gone, you know.
The Godfather Of Memphis Funk" - that's what the strap line on the back of this CD says, and that's just about right, too. But when it comes to funk, few have ever put the beat over with more conviction than the late, undeniably great Rufus Thomas. Country Music? Hard to get beyond Charlie Rich, really. Deep Soul? Messrs Carr and Redding surely have that market cornered. Think about music and Memphis - who do you think of first? Rock'n'roll? Gotta be Elvis, of course.
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