Skip to product information
1 of 1

Lee Dorsey

Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can (Vinyl)

Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can (Vinyl)

Regular price $22.23
Regular price Sale price $22.23
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Note: Join the waiting list on out of stock items to be notified once available!

Out of stock

View full details
View Artist: Lee Dorsey
SKU: I07OCW-1ZHL-00

  |  UPC: 600753764022

For all but the most dedicated record collector, Lee Dorsey's terrific singles for Amy -- including the hits "Workin' in a Coalmine" and "Ride Your Pony" -- are all anybody knows about Lee Dorsey's collaboration with Allen Toussaint. Those were the recordings that were the hits, those were the recordings that were played on oldies radio, and those were the recordings that were reissued on CD, while the two albums Dorsey and Toussaint made in the '70s seemed lost, never reissued and rarely mentioned in either's discography or biography. That's not to say that the first of their '70s efforts, 1970's Yes We Can, didn't have an impact. Several of the cuts were covered by major artists throughout the decade -- the Pointer Sisters had a hit with the title track, Robert Palmer covered "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" for the title track of his 1974 debut, Ringo Starr cut "Occapella," and the Meters' loose-limbed, eclectic groove set the pace for a lot of rock and funk for the '70s (most notably Little Feat, who did a faithful cover of Dorsey's 1971 non-LP single "On Your Way Down"). So while it was possible to hear the reverberations of this album, it was impossible to easily hear this music until it finally saw the light of day on Raven's 2005 two-fer Yes We Can/Night People (which also included "On Your Way Down" and another non-LP single, "When Can I Come Home?," as bonus tracks).
Musically, Yes We Can is closer to Toussaint's solo LPs for Warner -- collected on Rhino Handmade's excellent 2003 two-disc set The Complete Warner Recordings -- than Dorsey's '60s sides, but it's the best overall album Dorsey ever made and one of the greatest soul albums of the '70s. Here, Dorsey, Toussaint, and the estimable supporting band of the Meters are at an absolute peak. Song for song, this is Toussaint's strongest writing and it's given lively, imaginative interpretations from the Meters. Hardly just a routine collection of New Orleans funk, Yes We Can dips into rampaging Stax-Volt soul on "When the Bill's Paid," diamond-hard funk on "Gator Tail," stylish updates of Dorsey's Amy sound on "O Me-O, My-O" and "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley," smoky nighttime grooves on "Riverboat," and utterly modern protest soul on "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" while ending on the hilarious standup comedy riff of "Would You?" Not only is there a great variety of styles, sounds, and moods here, but Dorsey, Toussaint, and the Meters all make it sound easy, when it really was the most sophisticated funk and soul of its time. Maybe that sly sophistication is why the album sank commercially in 1970, maybe it's because the music was at once too earthy and elegant to compete with the sound of either Hi or Philadelphia International, maybe it just didn't get the right promotion, but the years have been nothing but kind to Yes We Can, which stands as one of the great soul albums. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

  • Format: Vinyl
  • Genre: R&B
  • Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website!
Carbon-neutral shipping with Shopify Planet
Joco Records Funds Carbon-Neutral Shipping on ALL Orders
8346kg
shipping emissions removed
That's like...
21366
miles driven by an average gasoline-powered car
We fund innovations in...
Soil
Forest

NOTE:

ALL albums listed on our website are 100% brand new and sealed. We only sell vinyl, and no other media format. We do not sell used vinyl. We also use industry-leading packaging to prevent damage during shipping. Shipping insurance is optional at checkout but is still highly recommended. Please Read our shipping and returns policy if you have any further questions.

We work hard to keep as many albums in stock as we possibly can. However, if the desired item is currently out of stock, we highly recommend joining the waitlist by entering your email address or phone number on this page. By doing this, we can notify you the second the item is back in stock. We will never spam or sell your information. :) 

Meta Artist: Lee Dorsey

Product Tags: New, Out-of-stock, R&B, Vinyl


Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)