Hip Hug-Her – BOOKER T & THE MG’S****

Hip Hug-Her/Soul Sanction/Get Ready/More/Double Or Nothing/Carnaby St/Slim Jenkin’s Place/Pigmy/Groovin’/Booker’s Notion/Sunny

Hip Hug-Her was one of the stronger albums from Booker T & The MG's, whose reputation was gained as Stax label session musicians backing up artists such as Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. (US:35)

"Of their Atlantic distributed albums, this is probably Booker T. & The MG's strongest set. Six of the eleven songs are originals, and their cover of Groovin' made the R & B top ten. If you dig Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, or even The Blues Brothers, then treat yourself to this disc."

"Hip Hug-Her is where all of the elements of their sound came together to their fullest potential. There's not a bad or weak song. The mix of covers and originals is perfect, as is the mix of uptempo songs with slower, more atmospheric tunes."

"Many people say that Hip Hug-Her is the best album ever released by Booker T. & The MG's. While that's up for debate, this certainly is one of the legendary quartet's greatest achievements. This is the album where the four musicians merged into the most formidable instrumental unit the world has ever known."

"The title cut is just pure prime time Booker T. & The MG's playing with a newly found confidence. Hip Hug-Her was the first single they released with Booker T playing the Hammond B-3 organ. And he would use this type of organ on almost every track the group would henceforth record."

"The album's closer is a fantastic cover of Bobby Hebb's Sunny. It's highlighted by some of the most perfect guitar playing I've ever heard. And Booker's organ work just defines the essence of cool. When Hip Hug-Her was unleashed, The MG's went from being the best studio backing band in the world to being bona fide stars."

"Hip Hug-Her is one of Booker T and MG's strongest, most consistent studio efforts. Here, the band's sound gels completely, the grooves become more insistent, the sound more varied, yet the whole is smoother and more seamless. Like most MG's albums, it includes covers, but it's the originals that stand out. Soul Sanction with its great auxiliary percussion backing, the uber-groove of Slim Jenkins' Place, and the infectious, utterly irresistible title track display the ensemble at their funk/soul finest."