Ann Peebles - I Can't Stand The Rain / Pure Pleasure

This wonderful album, originally released in 1974 on the Memphis-based Hi Records label, deserved a wider audience than it ended up getting at the time. It played to Ann Peebles' great strength, her poised and sultry voice,

and surrounded by the sparse, easy funkiness of the trademark Hi rhythm section and producer Willie Mitchell's perfect use of horns and strings, she sings like a resilient but disappointed angel on this impressive set of songs

about the darker side of love.Her best song is here, the eccentric but brilliant "I Can't Stand the Rain", along with a marvelous version of Joe Simon's "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On", and perfect readings of a pair of Earl Randle songs,

"If We Can't Trust Each Other" and "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down". Peebles sings her heart out, and with those somehow bright-sounding Hi grooves behind her, it all comes together to make a classic album of dark, bouncy,

and beautiful Southern soul. Ann Peebles (voc); James Mitchell (bs); Jack Hale (tb); Charles Hodges (keyb); Archie Turner (p); Leroy Hodges (b); Howard Grimes (dr); Memphis Sanctified Singers (horn section); u.a.

Title

Side A

1. I Can't Stand The Rain

2. Do I Need You

3. Until You Came Into My Life

4. (You Keep Me) Hangin' On

5. Run, Run, Run

Side B

1. If We Can't Trust Each Other

2. A Love Vibration

3. You Got To Feed The Fire

4. I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down

5. One Way Street