Search - Ike Turner & Tina :: Don't Play Me Cheap / It's Gonna Work Out Fine

Tina-with-strings?

Sasha | at sea...sailing somewhere | 08/06/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Together with "The Soul of Ike & Tina/Dynamite" this Cd collect complete discography of Turners for "Sue" company,their historic begginings,worlds away from latter soul/rock covers and Tina's metamorphosis into feminist icon.Both LPs were released in 1963 and they are very different from each other,Tina passionate vocals only thing they share in common.One of the biggest oddities in Turner's discography,"Dont play me cheap" in fact doesnt even sound like their typical repertoire,rather like some strange Tina-with-strings solo outing: instead of Ike's barrelhouse piano,chunking rhythms and Ikettes,Mrs.Turner is surrounded with angelic choruses,strings,harps and generic arrangments that start to sound uninspired after several songs.Since at that time she was strong soul shouter,neither Tina suited these songs,neither they showed her off in the best light (her strongest points being rhytmic numbers,not string-laced ballads).The whole LP sound strangely mismatched and my guess is that this is compilation of unreleased tracks delievered as contractual obligation."Its gonna..." is return to "real" Ike & Tina jukebox style with rollicking pianos,fiery guitars,drumms and ass-shaking Ikettes: nothing matches title track,althought "This man's crazy" shows Tina as Little Richard (she's having a fun) and "Good good lovin'" is a very good James Brown cover (Tina namechecking her previous hits).Contrary to liner notes,bonus tracks have nothing to do with "Sue" period - by the sound of them "Two is a couple"/"Cant chance a break up" is mid-60s rarity while "Dear John" not a final "Sue" single but a 1974.LP track (her voice very different by than)."

Wow this is so good!

Robert Lett | Richmond, Va United States | 11/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This early sixties stuff is as strong as any Ike/Tina stuff, a real knockout! The "Tinaroo" is wild! The albums are augmented by four singles from the period. My one complaint is that there are no reproductions of the original album covers, as they are classic. Otherwise two big thumbs up."