Dig Infinity: A Gospel-ish Mix

(photo via)

I've got no truck with organized religion - I'm not much into organization, in general - but it's impossible to not be in awe of the body of work dedicated to matters on high.  The actual subject matter isn't important, the passion and the beauty behind them are more convincing evidence of a divine presence than a billion falling frogs.

In the end everything is a love song, some loves are just bigger than others.

It's also impossible to deny the role religious music has played in shaping our secular sound.  Country, soul, rock music all once got up early on Sunday mornings; when the first white rock and roll stars gathered at Sun Studios for an impromptu jam session, they started singing spirituals.  Arguments that a common cultural foundation results in homogenous art output fall away in light of works produced.  People, bless them, have always been varied and peculiar.

The following playlist is here for enjoyment, not illustration.  This is the first (and the more fun) of two Jesus-y mixes I've got for you folks.  Its 70+ minutes contain the obvious and the odd, it goes from duh to huh, but everything belongs.  Yes, Aretha's basically singing a Carole King song, and hey, that's not from one of Reverend Al's gospel records.  Music doesn't have to be religious to be holy, God is in the deets, not the technicalities.  There's no Xian rock - well, not beyond Sela's Superstar-ish psych.  Sermons are music, too, as are Lord Buckley's hepcat hilarity and Elizabeth Clare Prophet's insanity.  This is a big tent party.

The lack of traditional material is corrected by an accidental undercurrent of songs about songs.  There's no "Amazing Grace," though Jerry Lee sings about it (and in next week's mix, Low will undermine it).  "Rock of Ages" isn't here, but it's all over the place; Merle Haggard sings of it, it surfaces in the Sun boys' track, it's background music for Buckley.  And Sam Cooke and the Stirrers shuffle God in and out about "Nearer, My God, to Thee."

Like I've said before, always go out on Sam Cooke if you can.  This live version of "Nearer to Thee" runs more than eight minutes, could easily go on ad forever.  It's an awesome song about the power of song, it's an awesome performance that proves its material.  Sam more than earns a spot behind the pearly gates, he practically works his way into the Big Guy's pants.

Download the full mix: Dig Infinity (Pt 1 - Pt 2)

1. Aretha Franklin - Precious Lord (Take My Hand)/You've got a Friend (Live)(mp3)(buy Amazing Grace)
2. Blind Roosevelt Graves and Brother - Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind on Jesus)(mp3)(buy American Primitive Vol. 1)
3. The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet - Rock My Soul (mp3)(buy Goodbye, Babylon)
4. The Million Dollar Quartet - I Shall Not Be Moved (mp3)(buy The Complete Million Dollar Sessions)
5. Two Gospel Keys - You've Got to Move (mp3)(buy Goodbye, Babylon)
6. Madison's Lively Stones - It's Time to Make a Change (mp3)(buy Classic African-American Gospel)
7. Lord Buckley - The Nazz (mp3)(buy Jet Ride)
8. Al Green - Take Me to the River (mp3)(buy Al Green Explores Your Mind)
9. Hightower Brothers - Seat in the Kingdom (mp3)(from Life is a Problem)
10. Abyssinian Baptist Gospel Choir - Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody (mp3)(buy Shakin' the Rafters)
11. Elder Charles Beck - Rock & Roll Sermon, Part 1 (excerpt)(mp3)(from Life is a Problem)
12. Sela - Romans 10:9 (mp3)(buy Holy Fuzz)
13. Church Universal and Triumphant Inc featuring Elizabeth Clare Prophet - Sounds of American Doomsday Cults Vol 14 (Excerpts)(mp3)
14. Morris Family - He Rose Unknown (mp3)(buy How Can I Keep From Singing Vol.2)
15. Jerry Lee Lewis - He Looked Beyond My Faults (mp3)(buy Mercury Smashes...)
16. Uncle Dave Macon and Fruit Jar Drinkers - Walking in Sunlight (mp3)(buy How Can I Keep From Singing Vol 1)
17. Merle Haggard (with The Strangers) - Family Bible (mp3)(buy Land of Many Churches)
18. Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers - Nearer to Thee (Live)(mp3)(buy The Complete Specialty Recordings)

(Given the immense amount of material from which to draw, it seems silly to double-dip from sources.  But given the quality and variety found in collections of old-timey religious musics, it's almost impossible not to.  There's great stuff out there from Dust-to-Digital (especially their much-praised 6CD box Goodbye, Babylon), Revenant, Smithsonian Folkways, Yazoo, and the vinyl/cassette-only off-web Mississippi Records.)

*

Instead, or in addition to:  Lagos Disco Inferno Mix.

tags: gospel  mix  

links: digg this    del.icio.us    reddit