Comments
Blind Boys of Alabama
Blind Boys of Alabama
Atom Bomb
The strange crossover journey of The Blind Boys Of Alabama continues on Atom Bomb. Though they may be collecting Social Security checks in the same mail that delivers their royalties, these guys' bluesliy rocking the sanctification into sorta' holy repertoire has yet to get old. Cover versions of Blind Faith's "Presence Of The Lord" and Norman Greenbaum's snarky "Spirit In The Sky" may seem like faits accompli by now. The ol'' Boys still invest them with fresh reverence and joy (Greenbaum's line about never having sinned thankfully corretced). The infusion of rap into trad soul gospel's nothing new by now, either, but enlisting Blackalicious member Gift Of Gab on Norman "Fatboy Slim" Cook's "Demons" brings it to a culture clash of highly cool contrast. Los Lobos' guitarist David Hidalgo sometimes-gospel keyboardist Billy Preston and harmonica man supreme Charlie Musselwhite abet the Boys' road players. Standards such as "New Born Soul," "Talk About Suffering" and "Moses" also benefit from the leisurely strut all parites add to the mix. It would be easy to wrap this up wth a U2 pun, but these Alabamans could wipe the floor with those Irish punks and not break a sweat. [Real] Jamie Lee Rake
©2005 HM Magazine - All Rights Reserved
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