The album's title leaves no doubt as to its contents:
Soul Activated is all about rockin' soul, classic R&B, and vocal throwbacks to the glory days of
Sam & Dave,
Otis Redding and the like.
Curtis Salgado plunges headlong into a vocal potpourri, dishing out some very hip covers and adding four tunes of his own. The covers include the
Hall & Oates/
Paul Young hit "Everytime You Go Away," a funky rendering of
Leon Russell's "I'd Rather Be Blind" (
Freddie King),
Jimmy Cliff's reggae smash "The Harder They Come," and a duet with
Lou Ann Barton called "Hip Hip Baby" that features
Jimmie Vaughan on guitar.
Barton used to sing the tune with
Stevie Ray Vaughan in her hometown of Austin (before
SRV's tenure with
Double Trouble).
Salgado's originals extract powerful visuals, from the relaxed yet uplifting "Summertime Life" to the minor-key "Funny Man," a tale that tells a story most probably haven't heard before: one of losing the girl to a comedian.
Salgado sings, "The funny man ain't funny when he takes your love from you." Ouch! "Lip Whippin" is a traditional blues tune. It's a great harp instrumental that is arguably the best cut on the album, but it sounds ridiculously out of place sandwiched in between all the other "soul activated" tunes. Those are filled with cool phrasing, hot sweat, and a helluva voice. ~ Ann Wickstrom