I have been listening to tons of gospel music, and recently made a trip to Stereo Jack’s to pick up some LPs. They are:
Andrae Crouch – More of the Best… is a pretty cool record. I was blown away by “I’ll Be Thinking of You” because Stevie Wonder plays a great harmonica solo on it, and there’s even a Wonder quote in the composition itself. I wonder what Stevie thought of that. And Kristle Murden sounds incredible on this…must check her out because if she always sings that well, she’s amazing. I can’t stop hearing records that I love from the ’70s in my mind’s ear. Parliament, EWF, Stevie, Aretha. They are all here.
Andrae Crouch – Autograph – With a more 1980s production and groove, I like side one of this record a little less than the ’70s things. There is also a little more preaching, so that’s – for me – a bit of a deterrent. But still funky. Ok, that’s not completely fair. “You Can Depend on Me” is a classic shuffle, and there is some really great string writing and choir arranging on side one. Side two, however, is live, and that is a whole different situation – definitely worth a listen.
Deniece Williams – Water Under the Bridge – I bought this one because George Duke is on it. Even with Duke, I’m pretty sure there are better Deniece Williams records than this one.
Philip Bailey – Chinese Wall – This is the record with “Easy Lover” on it. Phil Collins is really awesome on this record, and some of the writing is really interested (nice V7alt hybrids, for example), but mostly this is a mid-1980s digital recording with way too much reverb and compression. Slick horn parts on the title track, though.
Stevie Wonder – Characters – This is a grossly underrated album. People my age often lament Stevie in the ’80s, but here’s the thing: it’s the production. His writing is as amazing as ever, it’s just housed in a brittle, synthesized, early digital production. Listen to the songwriting. Amazing.
Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers – That’s Heaven to Me – This is my favorite so far from this batch. Really great music, fantastic quartet writing, and the bass playing on “All Right Now” is unbelievable. Must find out more about Cooke and Specialty Records.
Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers – The Gospel Soul…, Vol. 2 – Another great one by these cats, however this recording focuses more on the quartet legacy.
Walter Hawkins – The Walter Hawkins Family – A few weeks ago, I found myself enthralled by the music of Edwin Hawkins. Just blown away. And friends of mine kept saying, “Yeah, but have you checked out Walter?” No, I hadn’t, but now I have and [can I say Damn! about a gospel record?]. Joel E. Smith is the bassist on this and he crushes it. Phillip Bailey and Maurice White are on this, and so are the Tower of Power horns. Killer.
Andrae Crouch – Live in London – Man. What a different experience than the tradition I was raised within. He says at the beginning of this concert, it won’t be a concert, but church instead. Had I known that this was a path several decades ago, I would certainly have a different point of view about organized religion. This album is amazing. I say that a lot. So, ok, it captures a moment of clarity, vividly recreating the sound of music with a singular vision performed by musicians united in their dedication to bring their message to everyone. Oh, and Bill Maxwell kills it! That shuffle!
Mahalia Jackson’s Greatest Hits – Getting some history with this. She’s so fantastic; I get why she was such an influence. This has a nice variety of approaches from classic quartet and ancient gospel traditions interspersed with some newer sounds like “Walking in Jerusalem.”
Marian Williams – Surely God is Able – If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed this to be a blues record from the 1980s. Etta James, you dig?
Spirituals and Gospel-Songs (Recorded in Negro Churches) – This collection comes from Brunswick and offers a fascinating glimpse into the exceptionally important and influential realm of gospel music. Listening to Reverend Kelsey do his thing, or The Voices of Victory combine the sound of Elvis with a lovely “legit” soprano, is fascinating, inspiring, wonderful. The very last track is “So High” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, recorded at her wedding. Glad to own this one.