Without the studio reverb, the background singers, and the ability to reset if you suck, Junior Walker still holds his own live. The "Needle In a Haystack" Velvelettes appear briefly to announce Junior Walker & the All Stars before departing forever -- a shame, because a live recording of them... [+] Expand

Without the studio reverb, the background singers, and the ability to reset if you suck, Junior Walker still holds his own live. The "Needle In a Haystack" Velvelettes appear briefly to announce Junior Walker & the All Stars before departing forever -- a shame, because a live recording of them has yet to surface. The songs with vocals suffer, since Junior isn't a singer. He never wanted to sing on his records anyway; the guy scheduled to sing "Shotgun" (Junior's first recorded vocal) didn't show, so Berry Gordy had Walker chant the lyrics. "I'm a Road Runner" and "Shotgun" are shells of the studio versions, but when he blows that big tenor sax, it doesn't matter whether he's a singer or not. Junior's sax riffs, like B.B. King's guitar licks, mesmerize. Blowing hard or sweet, he manages to tantalize the ears with arresting notes sequenced and bent as only he can. His rendition of "Moonlight in Vermont" is simply beautiful; Junior shows he got skills. The funky "Cleo's Back" displays Walker's sax at its sassiest. Motown's keyboardist Earl Van Dyke provides the finale, a rocking "Heartbeat"; stepping up the tempo considerably, Earl pumped that Hammond like a crazy man -- it's amazing he didn't break one of the pedals. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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