Bobby Patterson
is a journeyman soul veteran who has worked as a producer, songwriter, and radio disc jockey as well as cutting a fistful of fine R&B tunes for
Abnak
,
Jetstar
, and
Paula
Records in the '60s and '70s. If
Patterson
never quite broke through to stardom, he clearly learned a lot during his heyday and hasn't forgotten a bit of it;
I Got More Soul!
is that rare example of a soul veteran cutting a new album that sounds every bit of fresh as the sides that made him a cult hero back in the day. At its best,
sounds like the best
Stax Records
release you've never heard, complete with the sustained organ undertow, the sweet and sour horn arrangements, and the just-behind-the-beat rhythm section, and even though he was close to 70 years old when this was recorded,
's voice is in great shape, with plenty of streetwise bluster and close to the same range and just as much control as he had in his youth.
co-wrote eight of the ten songs on
with members of his band, and he hasn't lost the knack; "Let Me Heal It," "It's Hard to Get Back In," and "I Feel the Same Way" are cut from the same cloth as classic '60s soul without sounding like obvious retreads, and "Everybody's Got a Little Devil in Their Soul" nods to vintage gospel while putting
's own streetwise spin in the lyrics. And whoever thought it would be a good idea to turn
the Dirtbombs
' "Your Love Belongs Under a Rock" into a proper soul workout was absolutely right. While co-producer and bandleader
Zach Ernst
certainly deserves plenty of credit for getting the sound right,
is clearly a man who still has the goods, and while plenty of retro-soul acts work hard to give their albums a vintage feel,
sounds naturally funky and full-flavored, and judging from this material,
really does have more soul than just about anyone, and the means to show it off to the world. ~ Mark Deming