Various Artists: Feel Like Going Home — The Songs of Charlie Rich

Various Artists
Feel Like Going Home — The Songs of Charlie Rich
(Memphis International)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

It’s unfortunate that most music fans not acquainted with the Sun catalog, only know Charlie Rich from the handful of slick, countrypolitan hits he notched with producer Billy Sherrill in the early to mid-‘70s. Those songs might have brought Rich, whose career started with Sam Phillips back in 1958, long overdue recognition, but they weren’t indicative of either his talents, influences or output that included rockabilly, jazz, blues, gospel and soul.

Rather, this belated tribute concentrates on Rich’s early, pre-fame years with a dozen of its 13 tracks taken from sides he waxed relatively early in his extensive 40 year career. As such, the set is rawer and far more eclectic than many might expect, which best represents Rich’s own musical tastes and productivity.

For better or worse, this isn’t a superstar — or even a star — collection of artists with the most recognizable being Jim Lauderdale (who kicks it off with a rowdy “Lonely Weekends”), Shooter Jennings, Will Kimbrough and Preston Shannon. True to the chosen acts, some of the songs aren’t immediately familiar either with a few such as “Time and Again” and “Break Up” (written by Rich and recorded by label cohort Jerry Lee Lewis) not even appearing on most Sun-era Rich collections. But that is far from a detriment to this clearly heartfelt collection.

Jennings charges through “Rebound” like the country rocker he is, Preston Shannon injects “Easy Money” with a shot of raw blues as does harpist/vocalist Johnny Hoy on a tough, uncompromising version of “Don’t Put No Headstone on My Grave.” Names like Anita Suhanin (a sensual, swamped up “Midnight Blues”), the Malpass Brothers (a sweet, pure country with reverb heavy guitar take on “Caught in the Middle”) and Charlie Rich Jr. (who plays the same piano his dad did on the barrelhouse rockabilly of “Break Up”) aren’t household names, yet they nail these songs with gutsy enthusiasm and a hunger more established acts might not bring. 

Producer Michael Dinallo, who recorded all these tracks at Sam Phillips’ Recording Studios in Memphis, may not have had the budget or industry clout to entice heavy hitters to the table, but everything exudes boundless energy along with a love of Rich and his songs that does exactly what this set should do;send newcomers back to the originals to hear an artist that Sam Phillips put on “the same pedestal as Howlin’ Wolf,” as Knox Phillips relates in the liner notes.

These 13 tracks just scratch the surface and maybe there will be a volume two to further flesh out Rich’s extensive catalog. But as an entry point to the music of one of the cornerstone musicians of American music, this is a terrific start.