William Bell - Phases of Reality (1972)

Many of Stax's releases in its final years were dull soul. But by the standards of the era, William Bell's second-to-last Stax LP was an above-average affair that was more diverse than many such efforts of the time. The three songs he co-wrote with guitarist Horace Shipp jr. were socially conscious tunes in a different bag than the straightforward romantic odes Bell usually purveyed. "Save Us" was indebted to Marvin Gaye´s What´s goin on era, with a Philly-influenced funk/soul groove, and "Fifty Dollar Habit" was, of course, about drug use. Elsewhere, Bell stuck mostly to love songs, self-penned and otherwise, getting into a pre-disco lope on the title track, with the sweet soul balladry of "What I Don't Know Won't Hurt Me" and "If You Really Love Him," and the light, reggae-influenced rhythms on "Lonely for Your Love."

Nice little album 4 all you Stax lovers out there with some nice musical background by the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section!!!!

check him out, peace