Favorite Best-Of Albums: The Very Best Of Booker T. & The MG’s

In terms of hit singles, Booker T. & The MG’s were in a relatively slow period when I first got into music in 1965: after reaching #3 in 1962 with their classic “Green Onions”, they didn’t have another national top 20 hit until 1968’s “Soul-Limbo”. For some reason, however, even their least successful singles managed to get airplay on Harrisburg’s WFEC, and once I heard them I was hooked. Over the next few years, I bought (and still own) five of their LPs, including a Best-Of collection. Of course, when they weren’t recording and releasing their own music, they backed up nearly every Memphis soul singer of the era, including Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding (most notably his take on the old chestnut “Try A Little Tenderness”).

 

Favorite Tracks:

Melting Pot

Green Onions

Soul-Limbo

Hang ‘Em High

Soul Dressing

 

Slum Baby

Groovin’

My Sweet Potato

Slim Jenkin’s Place

Time Is Tight

 

September 19, 2021 – Nats 3, Rockies 0

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/rockies-vs- nationals/2021/09/19/632438#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=wrap,game=632438

 

Weather: 78 degrees, partly cloudy

Wind: 4 mph, in from LF

Umpires: HP--Mahrley, 1B--Rackley, 2B--Vanover, 3B--Hudson.

Time: 3:01

Attendance - 26,309

 

Trois étoiles:

#3 – Juan Soto, who accounted for Washington’s second run with a 454-foot third-inning homer to CF.

#2 – The Nats’ much-maligned bullpen. Yes, two of their five relievers did walk the first batter they faced, but they collectively covered the final 3.1 innings of the game without allowing a run, highlighted by the just-recalled Tanner Rainey fanning the side in the top of the 7^th.

#1 – Paolo Espino, who pitched into the sixth while keeping Colorado off the scoreboard, allowing just three hits and three walks while fanning seven.

 

The weather was perfect, and it was good to finally see the home team win a game. (Heading into today, our personal August-September record had been 2-6, after having much better luck during June and July.) We ordered takeout from the &pizza on Half Steet, enjoying our meals on one of the many shaded tables around the corner. Traffic was heavier than usual both coming and going, closer to 2019 levels than to those of earlier games this season. In a possibly-related item, I was quite surprised that the Nats managed to attract over 75,000 fans to this three-game series between two non-contenders. Maybe the promotions had something to do with it, although many who attended Friday’s game were vocally unhappy that the 4-hour monstrosity of a Washington loss prevented the launch of the promised fireworks.