Gospel music for the unbeliever

I have no problem with religion in songs per se, but I'm not a fan of the gospel style.

I loved the soundtrack from Godspell - much better than the music from Jesus Christ Superstar which I found to be somewhat bombastic.

 

Blind boys of Alabama :

 

Pilgrim Travellers :

 

Dixie Hummingbirds :

 

He did record secular music as a teenager, lots produced by Gary Usher, and was promoted as a teen idol but really didn't make it then. I recommend every music fan to check out his music.

 

Ry Cooder - "Jesus on the Mainline"

 

Shirley Caesar

 

Ricky Skaggs

 

Ferlin Husky

 

Connie Smith

 

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross

 

Marian Anderson

 

Over The Rhine - “The Trumpet Child.”

 

Wonderful tribute to the Statesmen Quartet by Ry Cooder on Instagram yesterday:
Instagram post by Ry Cooder • Apr 20, 2020 at 1:06am UTC

 

This is an amazing performance!

 

Anything by Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I'm a recovering fundamentalist, but her music still kills.

 

I just found out about these guys. Terrific music. No reissues yet of Savior Pass Me Not.

 

Odd you aren’t a believer but you like some gospel...I think deep down you’re a believer

 

Nope...I mean I like Bob Marley but Don’t smoke...

 

I truly love gospel... I grew up on this music. Here are a few groups I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND:

Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens (A recent discovery for me.Both of their albums on Daptone Records are worth adding to your collection.)

Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC’s (A good starting point is their album Good Time: Live in Memphis)

The Fairfield Four and The Blind Boys of Alabama have been mentioned multiple times for good reason.

I will also add The Harmonizing Four to my favorites list. I am shocked at how good their old albums sound on my system.

 

The Blind Boys of Alabama did a fairly stunning turn of Tom Waits' tune "Jesus Gonna Be Here." From the Spirit of the Century LP (2000).

Spirit and swamp and slide guitar. I love this.

 

Someone mentioned Larry Norman in passing ... c'mon man, you can't just mention Larry Norman in passing. This creative iconoclast upset the apple cart more than a few times, rocked the house, influenced masses, alienated friends, and trod a strange lonely path of the gospel rock realm. His early '70s trilogy (Only Visiting This Planet, So Long Ago the Garden, In Another Land) is a creative triumph, even if he did "borrow" heavily from a few of his rock contemporaries.

 

Well then I recommend the Godspell soundtrack - great stuff!

 

Shirley Caesar - Millennial Reign



An interesting album with a few different styles on it....

(This ones quite epic, you have to give it a few minutes to build)



Cheap too!

 

Check out the works of Washington Phillips. Ethereal sound to his gospel blues. Unique instrument but not sure what he used