Product Description
Musical siblings {|George Chambers|} (bass/vocals), {|Willie Chambers|} (guitar/vocals), {|Lester Chambers|} (harmonica/vocals), and {|Joe Chambers|} (guitar/vocals) were raised on rural gospel in their native Mississippi before switching over to folk and then soulful blues and R&B-fueled rock. {|The Chambers Brothers|}' recordings issued by the Los Angeles-based {|Vault|} label were nearly four years old when {|Feelin' the Blues|} hit the streets in 1970. The band's style had changed quite drastically from old-school blues, soul, and pop to the longer psychedelic jams heard on their international hit {|Time Has Come Today.|} Although the mixture of live and studio selections gives the collection an odds-and-sods vibe, several of the performances are among the best of the {|Vault Records|}-era material. Somewhat contrasting with the album's title, {|the Chambers|} actually cover a wide spectrum of music on {|Feelin' the Blues|}. Their roots can be heard throughout the flawless interpretation of the sacred standards {|Just a Closer Walk with Thee|} and the excellent {|Travel on My Way.|} Similarly, the midtempo reading of {|Ray Charles|}' {|I Got a Woman|} offers {|the Chambers|} an opportunity to subtly return to their gospel origins with call-and-response backing harmonies. The proceedings are far from being pious, however, as the quartet harmonizes the chorus of {|Too Fat Polka|} during one of the instrumental breaks. Perhaps wishing to remove some of the sting from the real storyline, the reworking of {|House of the Rising Sun|} -- according to the spoken introduction -- is told from the point of view of the receptionist (huh?) at the infamous bordello. Had {|the Chambers Brothers|} decided on a more straightforward translation, the song could easily have been one of the album's best. Other tunes worth spinning include a version of {|Bobby Parker|}'s {|Blues Get Off My Shoulder|} -- in a longer form than on 1968's {|The Chambers Brothers Shout!|} -- and the comparatively brief but effective update of the jazzy {|Undecided.|} In 2007, {|Collectors' Choice Music|} licensed all four of {|the Chambers Brothers|}' {|Vault Records|} releases, marking the first time they have been available in over three decades. ~ Lindsay Planer
