Aside from the presence of John Legend, whose modern vocal excessiveness runs against the classic soul sound of the song, "I'm Your Puppet" is so keyed in to the nostalgia of '60s soul and Stax Records that it's kind of enjoyable. Fine, Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson aren't the most fantastic singers. But considering how easily both men's voices could have been dubbed over it's nice to know that they didn't cop out. They're not that bad, and it seems like all three of their performances on this song have more to do with the characters they play in Soul Men than proving their worth as soul singers. It's easy to forgive most shortcomings on this Purify Brothers remake because it's not trying to break new ground nor posit Mac and Jackson (or Legend, for that matter) as the new [insert neo-retroist group here]. It's pleasant enough, all things considering. [H/T: SS]

John Legend, Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac: "I'm Your Puppet"


Soul Men Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Amazon]