Under the guidance of Al Bell, it is remarkable how quickly Stax was able to recover from seemed like certain doom. The label goy back on its feet faster than anybody would have surmised, but the political atmosphere of 1968 meant that the label could no longer function under its previous methodologies.

Before the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Stax was an oasis where skin color meant to more than eye color, but now, the air was charged with racial politics, and the neighborhood that Stax called home became a dangerous place. Before, race was something to be ignored. In 1968, it became that had to be acknowledged before any business took place. This even crept into the friendships of the bi-racial bandmembers that were responsible for so much of the label’s output. The label lived on, but very little remained the same.

Featured tracks include;

1) Running Out – Mable John

2) My Baby Specializes – Judy Clay & William Bell

3) I’ll Understand – The Soul Children

4) The Ghetto – The Staple Singers

5) Take Care of Your Homework – Johnny Taylor

6) I Like What You’re Doing – Carla Thomas

7) Time Is Tight – Booker T & the MG’s

8) Double or Nothing – The Mar-Keys

9) Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay – The Staple Singers

10) Tighten Up My Thang – The Soul Children

11) My Whole World Is Falling Down – William Bell

12) Testify – Johnny Taylor

13) Drowning on Dry Land – Albert King

14) Don’t Tell Your Mama – Eddie Floyd