Funky Midnight Mover: The Atlantic Studio Recordings 1962-1978

As this set illustrates, Pickett was game to follow the shifting sands of fashion, singing blaxploitation funk at the beginning of the ‘70s and glitzy disco at the end of it, singing it with the same fire he had when he was at Muscle Shoals in the late ‘60s, where he cut such timeless sides as “In the Midnight Hour,” “Knock on Wood,” “634-5789 (Soulsville USA),” “Mustang Sally,” and “Funky Broadway.” These singles naturally form the foundation of Funky Midnight Mover, but that is to be expected, as they’re always the core of any Pickett collection -- what the box proves is the magnitude of his talent and the consistency of his prime. Dig deeper than the ‘60s hits and there’s a wealth of great music -- pure, uncut Southern soul that’s sometimes adventurous, like when Wilson flirted with rock & roll on covers of “Hey Joe” and “Hey Jude”-- but what impresses is how Pickett remains a dynamic force even when the quality of the songs dips, as it undeniably does in his second stint at Atlantic. Despite this limp ending, the box never feels weak, it’s always strong and soulful, a necessary monument to a talent with no parallel in his time or in any other.