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Jul 07, 2026 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

First released almost 20 years ago on CD, Stax Does The Beatles featured 15 tracks of Stax artists covering Beatles classics. Released onto vinyl in double-LP format by Craft Recordings for Record Store Day in 2019, Stax Does The Beatles is here pared down to a single LP version, trimming the fluff and focusing on the cream of the crop.

The negative to this edition of Stax Does The Beatles is that it’s only eight songs. That said, those eight are essential, making for a concisely spectacular listening experience. Otis Redding’s soulful edition of “Day Tripper” starts things off, before David Porter brings his swinging version of “Help!,” replete with horns and liberally applied backing vocals, a take which nearly bests the original. Three instrumentals are featured—Steve Cropper’s “With a Little Help From My Friends,” Booker T. & The M.G.’s’ “Eleanor Rigby,” and The Bar-Kays’ “Hey Jude”—all which highlight the instrumental prowess of the Stax players in doing anything at all, not to mention rendering typical lyric-centric Beatles songs as essential in largely vocal-less presentation. Carla Thomas’ electrifying live performance of “Yesterday” is here as well.

But the piece de resistance is Isaac Hayes’ epic take on “Something,” a deeply soulful, instrumentally diverse masterpiece of an interpretation of a masterful song in its own right. Covers albums are one thing. Stax interpretations of Beatles tunes are in a completely different universe. (www.craftrecordings.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10