Staple Singers - 1973 - Be What You Are
Posted by nikos1109
Mr.Moo kindly offers us another Stax classic.
The Staple Singers enjoyed a brief spell when their popularity reached beyond the Soul fraternity and into the Pop charts and thus they are well known for a few classic singles. One of those appears here, “If You’re Ready(Come and Go with Me)” and it gives you an idea of the quality contained in this album.
With a resolutely Southern Soul feel, this represents the best album the Staples ever recorded. While it seemed the rest of the Stax roster were busy extending the boundaries of Black music, the Staples kept faith with the elements of the music which had elevated the label to pre-eminance in the 60’s. So you won’t find overblown orchestration, or proto-disco here. What you will find are magnificent lead vocals (Mavis Staples has few equals), superb harmonies, and production which lets those voices take centre stage.
The Staples also kept faith with their Gospel roots, and there are a couple of tracks here that fit that profile - “If you’re Ready” is essentially Gospel and “Heaven” has an ambiguous lyric which could be secular, but which in Mavis’ hands must be a hymn to her God.
Stand out tracks are many, their version of Grandma’s Hands for example is excellent and “the aformentioned “Heaven” is exactly that. But I would recommend this in it’s entirety as an example of Soul at it’s 70’s best and as a musical counterpoint to the way some of their contemporaries were developing Black music.
This is a @320 vinyl rip (supplied by Mr.Moo) of the original Stax Records LP including covers
Tracks
A1 Be What You Are 5:03
A2 If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me) 4:29
A3 Love Comes in All Colors / Tellin’ Lies 8:51
A4 Touch a Hand (Make a Friend) 4:04
A5 Drown Yourself 4:38
B1 I Ain’t Raisin’ No Sand 6:33
B2 Grandma’s Hands 2:43
B3 Bridges Instead of Walls 4:04
B4 I’m on Your Side 4:00
B5 That’s What Friends Are For 4:16
B6 Heaven 3:36
By Soulmakossa
The smash succes of ‘Be Altitude: Respect Yourself‘ gave The Staple Singers a blueprint from which to work: Muscle Shoals groovin’, gospelfide harmonies and political lyrics.
The optimistic title-track “Be What You Are” picks up where “Respect Yourself” left off: an anthemic, self-empowering song about taking pride in who and what you are; the magazine advertisement for the single showed a black construction worker smiling, staring proudly into the camera. A superb, gospel rock ‘n’ roller with some very Duane Allman-ish guitar hooks.
Reprising their super hit “I’ll Take You There”, “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me” is set to that same irresistible, lazy groove. What sets it apart from its predecessor is the use of folksy, acoustic guitars and simmering strings. A gem.
The scene gets a little more brooding with the 9-minute medley “Love Comes in All Colors/Tellin’ Lies“, a funky bit of testifyin’ wrapped in Alabama country soul. Great arrangements throughout that never get over the top.
Joyful sounds return with the sweet, uplifiting “Touch a Hand (Make a Friend)“, but that slightly menacing, hauntingly bluesy vibe reappears on the solid funker “Drown Yourself” and it reaches a climax on the super political “I Ain’t Raisin’ no Sand“, with its sober string arrangement and Pops’ understated lead vocal.
The overall message of the album remains strongly optimistic; the slightly Carribic “Bridges Instead of Walls” and the insanely funky “That’s What Friends Are For” (NOT the Dionne Warwick song!) are unabashed feel-good tunes.
‘Be What You Are’ is completed with some very touching, gentle, ballad-styled, folksy soul pieces: Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands” fits the family like a glove; “I’m on Your Side” shows the most sensitive side of Mavis and the album’s grand finale, “Heaven“, is simply achingly beautiful, both in its vocal delivery as in its ethereal arrangements.
classic.
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June 19th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Thanks, Nikos. You can’t go wrong with the Staple Singers.
June 19th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Gracias , muy buenos
June 19th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Man, another album that I never had the chance to own or even listen to until now………..I have all their others except this one……..keep doing it Nikos and all you brothers, you guys are the best!
June 20th, 2010 at 1:49 am
This is the fantastic music I grew up on. It is as relevant today as it was back then. Plus, Pops Staples was the MAN. And Mavis. Well, she could sing, just a little bit. Thank you so much for loading this. You have made my day.
June 20th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
thanks for this one! Only heard they’re hits, looking forward to hearing their lesser known tracks…which usually tend to be just as good or better! thanks again Nikos!
June 21st, 2010 at 9:32 am
Great pleasure with this post from Mr.Moo.A very beautiful album with delicate vocals.
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:59 am
You’re really in the mood these days, keep up the good work;
Thanx
June 22nd, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Many thanks my good friends Mr Moo & Nikos!
June 22nd, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Reall nice !!!!
June 22nd, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Totally excellent soul music at its best the way i like to hear it
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Great blog ! Thanks good vibes !
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Great blog ! Thanks for good vibes !
June 23rd, 2010 at 1:02 am
This is an album that I was curious to hear, it was worth it.
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
One of my favorite Staples! It’s good to see it here…
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Whoa— this looks good. Thanks.
June 24th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Thank you very much,Nikos for the “new-old” LP’s.
June 24th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Otro buen disco.
Gracias
June 25th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Great post. wanted to listen to this for a long time Thanx
June 25th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Thanks for expanding my Staple singers collection.
June 25th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Nikos, thank you for posting this record and giving me the opportunity to enjoy the Staples Singers afresh.
Respect to you and the crew,
Eugene
June 26th, 2010 at 12:20 am
Thanx for this gem.
A nice weekend to all.
Cheeers janny
July 1st, 2010 at 9:43 am
Gran disco. Muchas gracias
July 2nd, 2010 at 3:11 am
Been seeking this great album for some time. Thanks for putting it up.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:43 am
Thank you, I have one of their albums on vinyl, I look forward to hearing some more.
July 10th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Solid sound, strong voices, nice and simple orchestrations. A work of maturity. Staples could be funky without being raw or crude. Nice choice guys! Thank you again
July 13th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Classic!
July 16th, 2010 at 10:32 am
great choice as usual, cheers!
July 25th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Fantastic group.
August 1st, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Classic!!!!
August 3rd, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Another great album i discovered thanks to that awesome blog ! Merci