Search - Fats Domino :: Very Best of 1963-1965

Oft ignored post-Imperial pop period

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 07/03/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Having left Imperial Records in 1963 - the recording home of his seminal '50s sides - Domino found himself without his usual producer (Dave Bartholomew), nor the comfort of his native New Orleans. Signing with ABC Records, he began recording in Nashville with producer Felton Jarvis and arranger Bill Justis. The result were a series of singles and albums that attempted (but ultimately failed) to reposition Domino for the pop charts. Gone was the swinging slack that lent Domino's music its earthiness, replaced with tightly charted horns and overproduced backing vocals.Each of these tracks has Domino's voice at its core, but his sunny New Orleans' soul was undercut by the stiff, generic productions, intensely distracting background choruses, and material that was often mediocre. These tracks represent Domino's best work from the early-mid-60s, but simply don't measure up to his Imperial sides. Collectors will enjoy the opportunity to hear tracks long neglected for domestic CD reissue, casual fans would be better off with a set focusing on Domino's earlier recordings."