line up 1  

- Eric Mercury -- vocals

  supporting musicians (1972)

- Paul Cannon -- guitar

- Steve Cropper -- guitar 

- Jim Johnson -- bass

- The Memphis Horns 

- Richie Simpson -- drums, percussion

- William "Smitty" smith -- keyboards

- Jay Spell -- keyboards

- Eric Mercury and the Soul Searchers

- The Pharaohs

Genre:  soul

Rating: 4 stars ****

Title:  Funky Sounds Nurtured In the Fertile Soil of Memphis That Smell of Rock

Company: Enterprise

Catalog:  ENS 1020
Year: 1972

Country/State: Toronto, Canada

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: punch out holes top right and left corners

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 2717

Price: $25.00

Well, without ever hearing a note, I can tell you this album deserves notoriety for at least two things:

1.) The Ed Hocum cover painting guaranteed minimal sales

2.) If the cover didn't put you off the album, then the cumbersome title was likely to finish off any desire to buy the LP.  It was certainly an interesting title for a guy born and nurtured in Toronto, Canada.

And that may explain why there doesn't appear to be a single online review of this album.  Shame, since 1972's "Funky Sounds Featured In the Fertile Soil of Memphis That Small of Rock" came very close to overlooked soul classic status. 

Signed by Stax's enterprise subsidiary, Mercury's label debut teamed him with Steve Cropper.  In addition to producing and arranging at his TMI Studio, Cropper contributed guitar and co-wrote most of the material. Having listened to this album dozens of times over the years, I've struggled to come up with an apt description for the collection.  About the best I can come up with is imagine Richie Havens had he decided to record an album with the Stax organization.  Mercury's voice bore at least a passing resemblance to Havens - particularly on some of the album's slower tunes - check out 'Wrap Me In a Map' and 'A Gift To You'.   Admittedly I'm not a gigantic Havens fan, nit I really like this album.  The difference here was Mercury was surrounded by much stronger, less polemic material (admittedly, the liner notes were a bit strident).  Still, it was hard to imagine Havens singing something as funky as 'I Can Smell That Funky Music', 'Stop Looking Down', or 'It's Time for Me To Love You'.   By the way, the album might have been worth the cost just for the blazing, dance-ready 'It's Time for Me To Love You'.

"Funky Sounds Nurtured In the Fertile Soul of Memphis that Smell of Rock" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I Can Smell That Funky Music    (Steve Cropper - Eddie Floyd) - 3:49   rating: **** stars

Backed by the full Stax treatment, the pounding on-the-road themes 'I Can Smell That Funky Music' was an awesome introduction to Mercury's growling voice.   Easy to see why Enterprise tapped it as a single:

- 1971's 'I Can Smell That Funky Music' b/w 'Listen with Your Eyes' (Enterprise catalog number ENA 9041)

2.) Like It Should Be   (William Smith) - 3:37   rating: **** stars

Penned by keyboardist William "Smitty' Smith, 'Like It Should Be' was a sweet, breezy ballad that gave Mercury a shot at showcasing his "love man" credentials.   The tune would have made a dandy single.

3.) Stop Looking Down   (Steve Cropper - Mary Williams) - 3:00    rating: **** stars

'Stop Looking Down' opened  up with some of Cropper's funkiest guitar fills and then hit the accelerator. Probably would have been the song I tapped as the first single ...  "Put your comic book down and started looking around."  

4.) It's Time for Me To Love You   (Steve Cropper - Eric Mercury - William Smith) - 9:23   rating: ***** stars

Seriously, this may be one of the funkiest jams to ever come out of Stax.   The song retained a distinctive Stax flavor, but the combination of The Memphis Horns, William "Smitty" Smith's Hammond B-3 fills (and you thought only Booker T. Jones could pull off that sound), Richie Simpson's machine gun drums, the Latin percussion touches, and the song's extended arrangement made it quite unlike your normal Stax release.  Try sitting still through this one.  Clocking in at over nine minutes, it was simply too short.  A rarity for me in that this tune deserves five stars.

(side 2) 

1.) Don't Stop the Feeling   (Steve Cropper - Mack Rice) - 3:07   rating: *** stars

Okay, it may have been a throwaway dance tune, but the performance was energetic and the autoharp rhythms were a gas.

2.) Wrap Me In a Map   (Steve Cropper - Eric Mercury) - 3:53   rating: *** stars

The song title always makes me smile, but 'Wrap Me I a Map' has always reminded me of a second rate Richie Havens song with the "calling mother Africa" refrain adding a touch of Jimmy Cliff to the mix.  Always wondered if the kalimba (thumb piano) was an inspiration to Maurice White and Earth, Wind and Fire. 

3.) Listen with Your Eyes   (Eric Mercury - Carson Whitsett) - 3:18   rating: ** stars

The album's only real disappointment, 'Listen with Your Eyes' simply lacked a memorable melody, instead sounding like something that had been borrowed from an off-Broadways stage show.

4.) A Gift To You   (Steve Cropper - Mack Rice - Mary Williams) - 3:43   rating: *** stars

Another track where Mercury's delivery sounded a bit like Havens, but I liked the breezy melody on this one.  

5.)Over In Arkansas   (Steve Cropper - Eric Mercury - Mary Williams) - 4:24   rating: **** stars

It started out sounding like a plodding slice of country-soul, but abruptly kicked into roaring Bill Withers-styled singer-storyteller territory.   Again, for a guy from Toronto, Mercury turned in one impressive country-soul performance.  Withers would have approved.