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Personnel: Bobby Womack, Pam Grier, Patrice Holloway, Janice Singleton (vocals); Tippy Armstrong, Redgie Young, Jimmy Johnson (guitar); Harvey Thompson (tenor saxophone); Ronnie Eads (baritone saxophone); Harrison Calloway, Jr. (trumpet); Dale Quillen (trombone); Barry Beckett (acoustic & electric pianos, harpsichord, clavichord, Moog synthesizer); Bobby Wood (acoustic & electric pianos); Bobby Emmons (organ); David Hood, Mike Leech (bass), Roger Hawkins, Hayward Bishop (drums, percussion). Producers: Bobby Womack, Joe Hicks. Reissue producer: Tom Cartwright. Engineers include: Christina Hersch, Darryl Carter, Larry Hamby. Recorded at American Sound, Memphis, Tennessee. Great singer, great songwriter, great guitarist--Bobby Womack has worn lots of hats over the years, and he deserves respect if for no other reason than writing "It's All Over Now," thus inspiring the Rolling Stones to record their first great single. This early '70s album finds him in characteristically fine form. There are a couple of typically soulful covers of seemingly unlikely songs--Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," and the Beatles "And I Love Her"--along with superior originals. Highlights are the country-ish "Ruby Dean" (musically and thematically suprisingly reminiscent of the similarly titled Mel Tillis song popularized by Kenny Rogers), and the hit "Harry Hippy," a cautionary tale supposedly based on the tragically brief life of Womack's brother Harry. UNDERSTANDING was of the best R&B albums of its day.
