Though the studio albums
Etta James made for Chess in the 1960s usually had the blues singer surrounded by lush production and string-heavy arrangements, this live date finds her performing with only a rhythm section, organist, guitarist, and tenor saxophonist. The singer seems to respond to both the stripped-down setting and the enthusiastic audience with noticeable abandon. In fact,
James the classy balladeer, a role she sometimes plays on her studio albums, is nowhere to be found on this blazing set. The only time the band slows down is on the tearjerker story-song "All I Could Do Is Cry" (though what the tune lacks in tempo it makes up for in emotional intensity).
The rest of the set is straight-edged blues and R&B, including covers of some hits of the day, like "Money (That's What I Want)" and
Ray Charles' "What'd I Say."
Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me to Do" (on which
James does a growling, harmonica-imitating vocal solo) steps up the blues quotient, as does the band's finale of
Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You," with
James' gospel-drenched pipes wailing all the while.
Etta James Rocks the House indeed. ~ Rovi Staff