LP Review: Willie Remembers and Ma
WILLIE REMEMBERS
Released: 1972
LP Charts: #90 pop, #46 R&B
No hits whatsoever from Willie Remembers for Rare Earth, but a good showing nonetheless. Even better is that the band did no covers. All originals for the first time!
“Would You Like to Come Along” is a lightweight imitation of Three Dog Night. Just cuz they’re originals doesn’t mean there can’t be inspiration, amirite?
Anyhoo, “Every Now and Then We Get to Go on Down to Miami” is one of the three standout tracks. I can’t call it a truly spectacular song, but it has some delightful breakdowns where the band chants about “going to the sunshine”. Just makes ya feel good.
“Think of the Children” is a sappy message song, but I can’t hate it. In fact, I really enjoy the all the instrumentation being geared around contemplation. It seems Rare Earth for the first time is getting beyond being a hedonistic band focused on funkin’ and rockin’.
The band, of course, cranks out another lengthy jam in “I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night”. Most of their other protracted funk-rockers have some measure of grin-and-bear-it, but this is their best yet and justifies its full 12-minute run time.
ALBUM GRADE: B-
I think Rare Earth has the hang of putting out good albums that are a touch away from being really good. This is my third B- grade for them and they got a C+ grade that shoulda been a B- if not that egregious “Eleanor Rigby” cover. However since this album had no hits, it made no dent on the charts.
Song Scores
Good Time Sally: 7/10
Every Now and Then We Get to Go on Down to Miami: 7.5/10
Think of the Children: 7.5/10
Gotta Get Myself Back Home: 6.5/10
Come With Your Lady: 5/10
Would You Like to Come Along: 6/10
We're Gonna Have a Good Time: 7/10
I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night: 8/10
MA
Released: 1973
LP Charts: #65 pop, #12 R&B
Willie Remembers had no covers and had no hits. So Rare Earth returns with an album full of covers and outside production. The good news is that Ma ain’t got a weak track, but it does have a weak spot and a somewhat weak premise.
First the premise: every song here was (co-)written by Norman Whitfield who also produced the LP. Given Whitfield’s prodigious production efforts around this time with the Temptations and Undisputed Truth, this was too much for one man. So of course three of the songs are covers and only two originals.
Oh yeah, this album only has five songs.
So how about the weak spot…
The title track is a really good song, but goes on for way too long and that’ll be the weakness. 12 minutes woulda sufficed on this jam. (Y’all appreciate that statement? TWELVE MINUTES WOULDA SUFFICED.) The song seems to be reaching a natural conclusion at that point, but then just continues needlessly noodling for an extra five minutes. Really didn’t need to be 17:22.
Moving along… Despite losing creative control for the moment, Rare Earth still sounded a lot like Rare Earth on this album. “Big John Is My Name” is probably the funkiest song the band ever recorded.
“Smiling Faces Sometimes” is good too, but when you have the titantic Temptations original and the smash Undisputed Truth cover, you really don’t need this edition— which, to reiterate, is good. But what’s the point? We already had two “better than good” versions since 1971 and this came out in ‘73. No one needed this, but can’t gripe too much, I suppose.
“Hum Along And Dance” is another Temptations cover, but this one is totally worthwhile cuz it expands on the original actually giving it a lot of instrumental jamming. Rare Earth’s take is 5:18 whereas the Temptations only mustered 3:54. FYI, in a true display of excess, the Jackson 5 would themselves cover the song later in 1973. The J5 version would be 8:37. Who do they think they are? Rare Earth?
The album concludes with “Come With Me”, a pornographic instrumental. The groove is pretty darn good with a Latin feel thanks to an acoustic guitar, timbales, and organ. A sinister electric guitar also fiddles around like a sidewinder and the only vocals are a woman moaning. Wholly unnecessary, but the music itself is really good.
ALBUM GRADE: B
So close to a B+, if only they had shortened up “Ma” and included the single-only release of the contemporary “Chained” (7/10) or “Fresh From the Can” (8/10). Oh well, at least the album was a relative commercial success.
Song Scores
Ma: 7.5/10
Big John Is My Name: 7.5/10
Smiling Faces Sometimes: 7/10
Hum Along And Dance: 7.5/10
Come With Me: 8/10