Feel Good

AMG Review of Feel Good

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Feel Good, not Superfly, is the sound of early-'70s pimping -- even when the tempo slows down, which happens rarely, it's for a slow blues grind, not a ballad, and songs like Tina's "Kay Got Laid (Joe Got Paid)" make no apologies for mythologizing pimps. This results in a supremely sleazy, utterly addictive record, one that's relentless in its rhythms and fearless in its funk as Ike lays down nasty rock & roll guitar -- check his solos on "Feel Good," where he's as elastic as rubber -- and Tina tears it up with pure, unbridled passion. Feel Good is quintessentially '70s -- the fuzztoned funk practically conjures up platform shoes and mile-wide collars -- but it doesn't belong to any one sound, it casually draws from Southern soul, James Brown funk, black pride, Superfly style and juke joint R&B, a sound that is uniquely identified with Ike & Tina. And while this contains no flat-out classics like "Nutbush City Limits" or "Proud Mary," as an album Feel Good undoubtedly ranks among their very best: it's a non-stop party.