Mavis Staples

quote:

Originally posted by jim learoyd:
Just ordered the new Mavis Staples cds "We'll Never Turn Back" and "Have a little Faith" on Amazon.

These are my first titles from this artist and the samples sound really good. Any other cds in her back catalogue worth a look? Ewen perhaps you can help here.


jim...........

Be glad to Jim.

Never really played her Have a Little Faith that much thought people were overstating how brilliant it was- just re-listening to samples of it and haven't changed my opinion of it. Still think there is some clunkers on it. Having said that there is some great trax on it as well.

However her new one is a real classic. Ry Cooder has taken her back to her Staple Singers sound and up dated and it has worked. Pops Staples would have been proud.

Now if you want to know which Staples discs to buy I recommend

"Be Altitude/Respect Yourself" try and get the MFSL you can usually pick it up cheap on eBay.
"City in the Sky" not an essential but neverless vg
"Be What You Are"- essential
"Soul Folk in Action"- fantastic version of The Weight.
"The Staple Swingers" is not a bad disc but I find it smothered a little with too much strings on certain trax but that was the sound at the time.

One last thing the '91 masters of the above discs is the best that I have heard.

If you want a best of get the US Best of with Pop and the girls standing in front of a green backdrop.

Never really got into their We'll Get Over it disc. Can't remember if Steve Cropper produced that one. Especially that Merry Xmas trax and the Japanese folk singer one. Think Stax were trying to make them to poppy. There are a couple of great trax on it.

Now if you go backwards to their Gospel discs try Freedom Highway it is a great disc.

Pops Staples discs I cannot for the life of me get into his first solo disc for Pointbalnk but think he hit the groove with the second but my advice on him is listen first before buying.

Hope that helps.

Being ignorant, I first came across MS in connection with hearing/buying plastic Bob Dylan. Seems fine at times.

What on earth does that mean?


jim........

quote:

Originally posted by Chumpy:
Being ignorant, I first came across MS in connection with hearing/buying plastic Bob Dylan. Seems fine at times.

We all start from somewhere and learn.