Various Artists, Kings of the Gospel Highway - 1h 11m 7s

Tracks & Durations

1. Walk around - The Soul Stirrers	2:48
2. Sleep on Mother - The Soul Stirrers	2:34
3. I Want to Rest - The Soul Stirrers	3:04
4. I'm Willing to Run - The Soul Stirrers	2:49
5. I'm a Soldier - The Soul Stirrers	2:50
6. Does Jesus Care - The Soul Stirrers	2:53
7. Dear Lord Look Down Upon Me - The Pilgrim Travelers	2:26
8. Go Ahead - The Pilgrim Travelers	2:45
9. I Wonder Will We Meet Again - The Pilgrim Travelers	2:46
10. Lord Hold My Hand - The Pilgrim Travelers	2:21
11. Lord I've Tried - The Swan Silvertones	3:11
12. Working on a Building - The Swan Silvertones	2:53
13. The Old Account - The Swan Silvertones	2:55
14. All Aboard - The Swan Silvertones	2:32
15. Jesus Jesus - The Spirit of Memphis	2:28
16. Sign of the Judgement - The Spirit of Memphis	3:00
17. Tell Heaven - The Spirit of Memphis	2:57
18. Jesus Brought Me - The Spirit of Memphis	2:40
19. I Was Praying - The Five Blidn Boys	2:43
20. The Lord Will Make a Way - The Spirit of Memphis	3:01
21. Will My Jesus Be Waiting - The Spirit of Memphis	2:29
22. Someone Watches Over Me - The Spirit of Memphis	2:23
23. S	2:33
24. Lord Have Mercy - The Spirit of Memphis	2:42
25. I'm Coming Up Lord - The Spirit of Memphis	2:29
26. Somewhere to Lay My Head - The Spirit of Memphis	2:38

Note: The information about this album is acquired from the publicly available resources and we are not responsible for their accuracy.

Review

After digesting these 26 glorious tracks, it's easy to see just how much of an influence the gospel quartet had on everyone from doo-wop crooners such as Clyde McPhatter and soul belters such as Ray Charles to James Brown and Otis Redding. Without any instrumental firepower, the harmonizers establish a rock-solid groove while the lead singer passionately and often acrobatically testifies. Even with that basic template in place, the range of sounds can be remarkable. On the 1950 track by the Pilgrim Travelers, "Dear Lord Look Down Upon Me," leader Kylo Turner delivers a sweet and gentle falsetto vocal that will make you swoon with delight. On the Swan Silvertones' "Working on a Building," it's the intricate, vibrant arrangement that stands out. Then you have the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi's Archie Brownlee, a fiery, earthshaking lead vocalist whose raspy growls on a song like "Will My Jesus Be Waiting" will raise the hair on your neck and hurt your own throat just hearing it. And the Sensational Nightingales' Julius Cheeks, roaring through his "country gospel" adaptations, isn't far behind Brownlee. Other classic quartets such as the Soul Stirrers and the Spirit of Memphis are represented here as well. Though we tend to think of gospel as pretty simple, straightforward music, this compilation reveals all of the subtle nuances, the jazzlike improvisation, and the unbridled intensity that goes into it. Anyone with even a passing interest in secular postwar soul music will be thrilled to hear its deep roots in this record. --Marc Greilsamer

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