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The Best of Leon Russell is the pianist/arranger/composer's first anthology since Retrospective, released by Capitol's The Right Stuff imprint in 1997. Its 16 tracks have 11 in common with that compilation, but one added track is among the album's most important, and trumpets this collection's raison d'etre : "If It Wasn't For Bad," from The ...
Not only was it quite possibly the best on The Union — it’s also among the best The Best Of has to offer as well. But that doesn’t mean the 69-year-old can’t excel on his own.
Nov 14, 2023 · One More Love Song stands out within Leon Russell’s extensive discography due to its introspective and deeply emotional nature. While Russell’s diverse body of work showcases his versatility, this particular song captures a profound vulnerability and authenticity rarely seen in other compositions. 8.
- Christina Cunningham
- Dixie Lullaby
- Stranger in The Strange Land
- Roller Derby
- This Masquerade
- Hummingbird
- Roll Away The Stone
- Lady Blue
- Tight Rope
- Delta Lady
- A Song For You
Before Russell decided to make his switch to Americana permanent, he was already giving us a taste of what was to come on Dixie Lullaby. A freewheeling, bar room blitz built around Russell’s drawling vocals, a piano, and not much else, it’s got Southern comfort down to a T.
Ultimateclassicrock.comhas described Stranger in the Strange Land as one of Russell’s best ballads. Considering his prowess in that particular area, that’s no mean small claim, but it’s far from unjustified. Using a title borrowed from Robert A. Heinlein’s famous novel, Russell builds an exquisitely crafted tune that serves as an exploration of the...
Like a lot of his contemporaries, Russell was heavily influenced by Little Richardgrowing up. In 1972, he reached back to those early sounds to craft the deliciously raucous Roller Derby. It might sound like a typical piece of Southern rock on the surface, but it’s pure rock and roll at its heart, with a verve and a pace that even Chuck Berry would...
Despite his gruff southern persona, Russell could be sweet. On Lady Blue, he’s at his sugary best, creating what All Music describesas one of the finest wedding songs of the era. This Masquerade flips the coin and looks at what happens after the honeymoon period has ended. It’s tender but cutting, taking a moody, unsentimental look at the slow disi...
In fairness, B.B. King did a better version, but there’s still an awful lot to be said for Russell’s original cut of Hummingbird. His vocals are as distinctive as ever, leading the charge as the song marches from its tender, bluesy opening to its exhilarating, gospel-infused climax. It’s not necessarily the most lovely voice in the world, but that ...
After making its debut on Russell’s self-titled 1970 album, Roll Away the Stone got a second life on the 1972 triple-disc live album, Leon Live. If the studio version was good, the live version was better, catching Russell at his most freewheeling, roof-raising best. It sounds less of a song than it does a revival, with Russell doing his best impre...
When Russell wanted to go tender, he went tender. Lady Blue caches him in a particularly romantic mood. The lyrics – direct and to the point as always – are the opposite of the song’s grumpier musical cousin, This Masquerade. Whereas This Masquerade captures the bitterness of the end of a relationship, Lady Blue captures its first flush. It’s a war...
In the middle of cutting Carney, Russell ran into a problem – he still had space to fill on the album but was fresh out of songs to fill it with. As he started to pack up and leave the recording studio, inspiration struck in the form of Mary Hopkins’ Apple-era recordings with Paul McCartney. The end result was Tight Rope, a jaunty piece of ragtime ...
As Joe Cocker was turning Russell’s Delta Lady into a timeless standard in 1969, Russell was still figuring out if he wanted to be a sideman or the main event. By 1970, he’d decided to give it a bash. His self-titled debut is a treasure trove of classics, Delta Lady being one of them. Written about Russell’s then-girlfriend Rita Coolidge, the song ...
Of all the songs Russell ever wrote, A Song for You is perhaps his best remembered. A painfully impassioned plea for clemency from one lover to another, it’s since been recorded by over 200 artists, including Ray Charles, who earned a Grammy Award for it in 1994, and Donny Hathaway, whose gospel-inflected interpretation is, of all the cover version...
- “A Song for You” “A Song For You” is the work that stands out above all in Russell’s repertoire. It’s been covered by hundreds of artists since its release, making it the composition for which Russell is most remembered.
- “Delta Lady” Sung with equal aplomb by Joe Cocker, who helped make it into a timeless and memorable standard, “Delta Lady” is a masterful example of how tone and tempo can be varied within the structure of a single song.
- “Roll Away the Stone” One of Russell’s most robust rockers, it was reprised to great effect on Leon Live, his live triple-disc extravaganza. There may be no better example of Russell in full flight, given its gospel-like chorus and unbridled exhortation.
- “This Masquerade” Famously covered by George Benson, who turned it into a major crossover hit, this song wasn’t nearly as smooth when rendered by Russell in its ragged original incarnation.
Mar 14, 2022 · Here are a few things you might not know about one of Russell’s best-known compositions, and a song he performed at each show, usually as a solo spotlight song, till his passing in 2016. 1. “A Song For You” was recorded by Russell in January, 1970 at Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles.
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Feb 21, 2024 · In this article, I’ll take you on a musical journey through the best of Leon Russell’s work. We’ll start with his early days as a session musician in Los Angeles, and then move on to his solo career, which produced some of the most iconic songs of the 1970s.
