BILLY PRESTON — Wildest Organ In Town! (review)

BILLY PRESTON — Wildest Organ In Town! album cover Album · 1966 · RnB Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
js
Before he became the fifth or sixth Beatle (depending on where you place George Martin) and before he became forever linked with his iconic 70s funk hit, “Will it Go Round in Circles”, Billy Preston used to put out high energy B3 organ instrumental albums such as this one, “The Wildest Organ in Town”. Sounding like a cross between a southern Pentecostal church service, a 60s discotheque rave-up and soul jazz on Prozac, calling this album “high energy” is definitely an understatement. There isn’t anything very subtle going on here, Preston’s heavily vibratoed and leslied organ blasts away relentlessly and if you are not into this sort of thing its going to drive you insane in a matter of minutes. On the other hand, if you seek really good instrumental kitsch, this one delivers the goods. Although Preston is the only soloist on here, the backup band is excellent and the arrangements feature lots of punchy horn riffs which help drive the bright upbeat optimism of these cuts. Preston also lends incidental vocals to a few tunes and is joined on a couple by the young pre-famous Sly Stone.

Sly Stone’s appearance on here gives some interesting insights in to what he was up to right before he was about to become a huge international rock star. Sly shares writing credits on three tunes, and on “Advice” he and Preston sing the words “I want to take you higher” in an ascending chorus that pre-dates Stone’s massive hit “Higher”. Obviously Sly is working out some of the ideas that will later bring him much success.

To a lot of serious music fans this album would probably come across as too glib and tacky, but to collectors of space age bachelor background music for 60s GTO commercials, this album is pure gold. Every song on here features excellent writing and arranging, there is no filler. For those who know the genre, there are the expected cover tunes with of course “The ‘In’ Crowd” being the epitome.
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