Untouchable! The Classic 1959-66 Recordings
Ace Records, UK, 2007
Picked this up at the library, where they also have Watson's later Funk Anthology. But, like Elvis at Sun Records, the early recordings often represent an artist's best work, and this compilation from the UK's Ace Records certainly proves that theory right.
Although the compilation opens with the silly novelty song "The Bear" (aka "The Preacher and the Bear") - was there ever a good song about hunting bears? - the rest is solid stuff, especially the rockin' singles on King Records. I love the would-be dance craze song "Posin'" (the Vogue of its day) and the title track "Untouchable!" finds Watson grouchin' about how his girl is in love with Robert Stack's stoic FBI agent Eliott Ness of then-popular 60s TV show The Untouchables - pure Dr. Demento novelty song gold, replete with machine gun sound effects. And Watson proves himself a pretty adept ballad singer, albeit heavily influenced by the vocal stylings of James Brown (circa "It's A Man's World"), especially on "Embraceable You" and "The Nearness of You."
Good, fun stuff from the vintage age of American R&B.
Related links:
Johnny "Guitar" Watson (Wikipedia)
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