One of the great lost soul statements of the era, not the first (or the last) great New Orleans album to get lost to the vagaries of promotion and distribution in the post-Motown/Stax era. Toussaint poured his all into Dorsey’s album, creating an empowering, empathetic, deeply funky classic. The title track is an anthem, even without its appropriation for a certain presidential campaign in 2008. “I know we can make it work/I know we can make it if we try,” Dorsey sings. Even in the midst of the era’s upheaval, Lee Dorsey’s voice soothes while the bouncing beat, swells of organ, and triumphant horns (backed by the Meters, naturally) all reinforce the positive message without a hint of false hope or disbelief. Not that Dorsey or Toussaint are blinded by such optimism, as their take on Joe South’s “Games People Play” proves. But the natural buoyancy of Dorsey shines through, even in those turbulent times. Songs like “Riverboat” and “Occapella” lean on foundational themes of love and music respectively to weather such personal, societal, and spiritual storms.

– Andy Beta