When a legacy artist like Mavis Staples records a new album, they really face an uphill struggle. After all, she’s going to have to pull off something special to overshadow the legendary work put down with The Staples Singers all those years. When your work leans towards interpretation and traditional material and away from new songwriting and you’ve a famous back catalogue behind you it would be understandable if hitting the artistic peaks of your past appears an ambition too far. The way this album starts with a version of ‘Don’t Knock’, done way back by the Staples Singers, it’s as if Mavis is daring the listener not to entertain those thoughts. She had her mojo working back then and it's working now.
The reason for such confidence can at least partly be attributed to the production job worked by Wilco main man Jeff Tweedy. In terms of credibility in 2010, it’s akin to securing the services of Bob Dylan or Neil Young in the 70s. And Jeff proves he’s the man for the job because, above all, he understands music. There’s way too much of a tendency today to leave the musical genres locked down in their little boxes. That late 60s attitude of Rock, Pop, Soul & Psych all belonging in the same bag, borrowing from and inspiring each other to do great things didn’t last very long. Nowadays the R&B artists make music for Dance orientated R&B and, if watered down enough, mainstream pop radio and that’s it. That’s why the marriage of the Soul and Gospel vibe Mavis Staples oozes before she’s even sung a note to Jeff Tweedy’s analogue hearted, rough and raw Rock edge brings us something that’s totally fresh sounding today. The spell is spun not just by the fact that Tweedy wrote two great songs for the album, including the soon-to-be classic title track. It’s there in the crunching electric guitars of Gospel styled track ‘Creep Along Moses’ and the down’n’dirty fuzz that makes ‘Only The Lord Knows’ just so damn delicious! Above all it’s just great to have one of the best Soul voices of our time still making brilliant music like this. You can listen to two full tracks, including 'You Are Not Alone', and a preview of the rest of the album here:
No comments:
Post a Comment