Green Onions

I've heard the title track to this debut album from Booker T. & the MG's, as "Green Onions" is one of those songs that's become an American ballpark stable. I've gone to baseball games where this song gets blared out of the speakers between pitches, and it's always a nice addition to the ambiance.

As for the rest of the album, it follows suit of the title track as an instrumental R&B album. Most of the tracks are covers of blues and R&B staples with the vocal duties taken over by Booker T. on the Hammond M3 organ. Is it a decent album where all the instruments play well to capture the vibes? Yes, with the organ playing, the minimalist rhythm section accompaniment, and Steve Cropper's rollicking guitar licks. But it doesn't transcend past its "decent" quality. It is still another debut album from the 1960s mostly comprising cover songs. Green Onions the album is enjoyable for the moment, but outside of the title track, it's not as necessary to seek out.

This album was clearly made to accompany the single, and it just gets worse and worse after the title track. Every single song is the exact same; listening to this record was less entertaining than paint drying. It sounds like a group of musicians just discovered the 1-4-5 like cavemen discovering fire. Green Onions is already a pretty boring track, but hearing it essentially 12 times in a row is a new kind of torture. It wasn't even that bad, it was just so formulaic that I would rather eat an entire onion raw than listen to it again. So not the worst material, just boring. The last couple tunes switched it up, which teased the potential of the group and the album, but that just disappointed me even more.

This album is pretty good, and most of the time, I don’t care if a song is an instrumental or something with vocals, but when it comes to something like this, a R&B and soul record, I want me some vocals on it.

Okay, hands up who thinks this is here because it's a great album? And now, on a show of hands, who thinks this is here because it's the first album released on the Stax Label?

I thought so.

Sure, Green Onions is a slinky, bass driven track that just makes your hips move, but the two other originals aren't anywhere nearly as good and the rest are essentially cover version filler.

No album with a cover of Stranger on the Shore needs to be on this list.

If only this album was entirely on the level of the title track. Would've been a full five.

Very good album. The "dialogues" between the organ and the guitar are great. The title track is very good (clearly my favourite track).

I also like the other original compositions ("Mo' Onions" or "Behave Yourself"). On the other hand, I'm not a big fan of some of the covers (like "Twist and Shout").

Overall, a solid 4-star album for me.

I mean… everyone knows “Green Onions.” Incredible song. One of the greatest soul-jazzy songs ever made. Everything else… is good! To be sure it is good. Exactly what you would expect. More of the same. “Mo’ Onions” is in fact exactly the same. Is that bad? Nooooooo…. but it’s not exactly the most exciting thing. Other than the first song, which is a revelation of bluesiness and iconicity, it’s kind of just background music. It’s not bad. It’s just whatever. Would vocals save it? Maybe. Probably not. Probably it needs better song ideas or something.

Some other highlights are a surprisingly impassioned rendition of “Twist and Shout,” the romantic “Stranger on the Shore,” and the easygoing “Lonelu Avenue.” Pretty good album. I probably won’t listen all the way through again though.
6.2/10
DOES IT BELONG ON THE LIST: YES
REASON: I mean it’s green onions. There you go. Everyone knows that song. It’s like a horse in that polish dictionary.

To my surprise, I had already heard a few of these songs already ("Green Onions", "Rinky Dink", "Twist and Shout", "Comin' Home Baby"). The songs are instrumental and veer between an old-timey rock n rock sound, blues, and just plain grooviness. Most of them are also covers, but songs get covered more when they're popular. Overall, the album was catchy and mostly fun to listen to.

Man, dit SLAPT. Green Onions is zo ontzettend simpel, maar zo stijlvol en gezellig. Echt een mijlpaal in de muziekgeschiedenis, terecht dat dit nu nog zo veel lof krijgt.

some great tunes (including the all-time classic title track) but not that consistent as an album. deserves its place here nevertheless

So I had an initial twinge of disappointment that Soul Limbo wasn’t on here. The iconic theme song for Cricket coverage on the BBC would’ve guaranteed a 5 from me on its own lol.

As for what was on here, great album for the most part. The title track is brilliant, I do slightly prefer The Blues Brothers take on it though. The only one I didn’t like was Rinky Dink.

Top Track - Green Onions

I liked this, but it definitely left me wanting for more originals and fewer covers. I don't know how much replayability this album has, but it definitely makes me want to dig into their discography and find out what else is there. Maybe it does has replayability, but I'm having a hard time imagining the circumstances that I'd think "the Green Onions album would be perfect or this occasion!"

Green Onions is such a cool, groovy track! I also loved the bluesy Behave Yourself

⭐⭐⭐.49

Wait, THAT song is called green onions?! Wtf? What other produce songs am I missing out on?
Rinky dink has that little hook I've heard everywhere in surf rock -- is this the first album to do it?
It may be background-y. but felt foundational. 4*

Highlights: green onions, rinky dink

Важко критикувати цей реліз, але мені було дуже нудно. Все звісно ж стильно і звучить класно, але хотілося вимкнути десь після четвертого треку.
(Однойменна композиція звісно ж хіт)

Wow, had no idea that I already knew them without consciously knowing them via the Green Onions song. Love this!!

Chill and funky. Glad there aren’t vocals.

I expected to like it more

There's a reason you hear Booker everywhere

*I love everything about this- very funky instrumental from the '60s.
*Heard Green Onions so many times but didn't realize its name or band
*Solid guitar and Hammond organ work

Great instrumental album, title track is absolutely legendary. I am enjoying the rest of the album as well, but like someone else has already said, I wish it would have more original compositions from the guys. So all in all, probably solid 4 stars.