After the recent Goats Head Soup and especially, El Mocambo releases, have we been underestimating the Preston Years (AKA Little 3)?

Lots of good stuff there - except when compared to the Big 4 (or 5 with Ya-Yas) that preceded them.

Your thoughts?

dont know if they are underestimated but i know that I keep going back a lot to those albums. there's indeed a lot of good stuff in it. luxury comes to mind after listening to the released version on el mocambo. so good. it reminds me of roy carr's book where he lamented it should be the single out of iorr.
and also great are the Early Solo Preston Years, hot stuff I am listening a lot lately

Billy Preston was the support act in 73, he was brilliant and only one of two support acts that I wanted to stay on.

Not underrated in my book. Love the Preston years!

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NashvilleBlues
Not underrated in my book. Love the Preston years!

Me, too

I can only speak for myself, and I certainly realize after listening to El Mocambo 57 times in the past 2 weeks that I underrated him greatly.

The Mick/Billy act pretty much wrecked the 75/76 tours for me. The El Mocambo release completely replaces any negative feelings I had about the era.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-06-06 20:15 by Kennedy.

Never under rated in my eyes.El Mocambo just reminded me how great he was.
Ollie Brown too

Billy had his time, just like Ron Wood. As the 70s moved into funkier realms, away from hard rock, Billy was better suited than Nicky Hopkins. Ron Wood was better suited than Mick Taylor. I remember hearing Billy's great piano for Hot Stuff in a club's massive sound system. His influence stretches into 1977 and Miss You. Then the Stones go in a punkish direction and Preston didn't fit. Plus he wanted a cut of the action, which we know they'd never give.

Preston added something very essential to any band he played with. Both his soulful voice and playing.

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Kennedy
I can't only speak for myself, and I certainly realize after listening to El Mocambo 57 times in the past 2 weeks that I underrated him greatly.

The Mick/Billy act pretty much wrecked the 75/76 tours for me. The El Mocambo release completely replaces any negative feelings I had about the era.

To be honest the Mick/Billy was getting a bit too much in the end imho.

ROCKMAN

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Rockman

So awesome! Love Billy (and Nat)!

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Tumlin73

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Kennedy
I can't only speak for myself, and I certainly realize after listening to El Mocambo 57 times in the past 2 weeks that I underrated him greatly.

The Mick/Billy act pretty much wrecked the 75/76 tours for me. The El Mocambo release completely replaces any negative feelings I had about the era.

To be honest the Mick/Billy was getting a bit too much in the end imho.

Every era is great in it's own way, as is this one...but I concur.

How about the Matt Clifford years?

It was a cool interlude. He helped them get funkier. It was also cool when eventually they got back to the core band.

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24FPS
Billy had his time, just like Ron Wood. As the 70s moved into funkier realms, away from hard rock, Billy was better suited than Nicky Hopkins. Ron Wood was better suited than Mick Taylor. I remember hearing Billy's great piano for Hot Stuff in a club's massive sound system. His influence stretches into 1977 and Miss You. Then the Stones go in a punkish direction and Preston didn't fit. Plus he wanted a cut of the action, which we know they'd never give.

You nailed it.

As much as I love the Taylor/Hopkins tour era, the group moved on to another musical phase, and Woody & Billy were better fit for that role.