Mick Jagger once famously sang “I need a shot of salvation, baby / once in a while.” Apparently, that’s true even for a heathen like me, as I find myself really digging these two outstanding contemporary gospel albums. I must confess (bringing me back to my childhood Catholicism) that I’m not much of a believer in religious music overall, especially Christian popular music. I’m put off by its lack of small “p” politics; meaning the questions all have the same answer, the lyrical paths all lead to the same destination, and there are no ideological or philosophical surprises like you find in the best secular music. That the music typically feels as unadventurous as the message to my ears is another obstacle to enjoyment.
This remarkable pair of records proves once again that it’s a mistake to dismiss an entire genre of music based on what you think you don’t like (I'm looking at you, country music haters). There are always diamonds in the mine if you take the time to dig.
Brent Cobb, And Now, Let's Turn to Page… (1/28/22) – Brent is a southern country rocker from Georgia with a smooth voice full of blue-eyed soul. He’s said in interviews that making a record of the gospel songs that impacted his life growing up was a dream project. But his desire to have a career in popular music led him to the secular path, on the advice of his manager and record label. He's released three well-reviewed but mediocre selling albums, none of which got much traction outside his home base. The biggest his public profile has gotten was an opening slot on a Chris Stapleton tour. But life has a way of changing plans.
In 2020, Cobb was sitting at a 4-way stop on a rural backroad, with his infant son in a car seat, and was t-boned by another vehicle that blew through the intersection. He was badly hurt but recovered, his young son was miraculously unscathed. The accident caused him to set aside his ambitions of secular success for a while, gather his road band and some family members together in the studio, and finally record that gospel album. He recorded the old hymns of his youth but kept the soulful southern rock sound of his previous records intact and it all works beautifully. There’s no shortage of honky tonk piano, Hammond organ, electric, acoustic, and slide guitar, and deeply affecting vocals. You wouldn’t be too wide of the mark to imagine what an Allman Brothers gospel record might sound like. The eight traditional hymns are joined by one original, “When It's My Time,” that fits the sound and mood perfectly. I had to study the credits to figure out which song was the one he wrote. And Now, Let's Turn to Page... is an album you can dig as an excellent southern rock/soul record and let it lift your spirit at the same time, if you’re in need of that shot of salvation, baby. Highly recommended.
EARWORM: “We Shall Rise” – Making a joyful noise unto the Lord, with blazing electric guitar.
Elizabeth King, Living in the Last Days (4/2/21) – There was a time, around the rise of rock and roll, when electric gospel combos were very much a part of the popular music scene in the deep south, swampy and soulful rather than staid and respectful. Small local labels and studios typically had in-house electric funk and soul bands to play behind the singers while they testified, and they moved a lot of units in their home areas. Elizabeth King was a pretty big deal back then, regionally-speaking, fronting the all-male Gospel Souls from 1970 to 1973 on the wonderfully named D-Vine Spirituals record label. She left the music biz in ‘73 to raise 15 children (not a typo) and didn’t record again for 48 years.
She probably would never have returned to the studio, content to sing in her church and occasionally on local gospel radio, if another small southern label with a terrific name, the Bible & Tire Recording Company, hadn’t released a compilation called The D-Vine Spirituals Recordings of Elizabeth King & The Gospel Souls in 2019 and been shocked by its national success. Ms. King, now in her 70s, was invited by the former owner of D-Vine Spirituals to record a new album for Bible & Tire, backed by the studio's Sacred Soul Sound Section.
The first thing that hits you on the opener “No Ways Tired” is Ms. King’s still amazing voice and the deeply satisfying synergy between her singing and the killer band behind her. Even though there’s a similarity of sound, you won’t confuse Living in the Last Days with a modern funk or R&B record. It's funky enough, with a southern swamp feel, but it's deep gospel music to the core. Ms. King preaches, testifies, and offers hope for salvation from beginning to end, with vigorous church chorus backup vocals by the Sensational Barnes Brothers and her former label-mates the D-Vine Spiritualettes. Even if you’re not personally on board with the message, if you can’t be moved and uplifted by the gloriously celebratory music and Ms. King’s commanding vocals you might want to give your pulse a quick check.
EARWORM: “Living in the Last Days” – Clap your hands and say amen, brothers and sisters.
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