The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
----
I wouldn't want to ask people to just give me money cause they like my website, but do please take a quick look at Barger's Boutique. You might find yourself a little something-something for 2 or 3 bucks that you just can't resist! Any of the round images you find around MoreThings will get you to an Amazon page to buy my stuff and help ol' Al keep the lights on.
Links
To explicitly state the obvious, these external links go to interesting and provocative websites, but they speak for themselves. I don't necessarily agree with anything they say - especially that no-goodnik Richard Marcus.
*************
All original content on MoreThings.com copyright 2008 Albert Barger or the respective authors
June 09, 2003
Jackie Wilson's birthday Born this day, June 9, 1934, Jackie Wilson would be 69 today. He was the dancingest, singingest, soulfelest guy around.
Jackie Wilson was as good a soul singer as anyone ever, including even Sam Cooke. His range and technical skills are unsurpassed. Unlike, say, Mariah Carey however, he also communicated much emotion, and a great range. He could make some beautiful dark night of the soul thing like "No Pity (In the Naked City)". He has about as good a rendition of "Danny Boy" as I've heard.
Perhaps even trickier, he could work magic with a pop trifle such as his first hit, "Reet Petite". This was during the late 1950s, written by a young Berry Gordy a year or two before he started Motown.
Wilson's career was spotty artistically and commercially. Partly this comes from lack of songs; he was not a songwriter. Partly, he tended to be overproduced.
It's one of the great missed opportunities of pop music that Gordy didn't recruit Jackie Wilson for Motown. Generally more muscular or athletic than Sam Cooke or Smokey Robinson, Wilson would have been perfect working with Holland-Dozier-Holland. Ah, well.
As it is, he left an outstanding recorded legacy. The big Titan of Soul box set would be a sweet addition to any pop music collection. However, the 24 tracks of the Ace label's Very Best of Jackie Wilson set might be sufficient for the casual fan.
