Category: Legends

Light in the Attic Records releases a rare 1965 demo of Lou Reed’s “Heroin” ahead of a stunning set of his early recordings.

Photo by Julian Schnabel

Light in the Attic Records, in cooperation with Laurie Anderson, are thrilled to share Lou Reed’s May 1965 demo of  “Heroin,” from Words & Music, May 1965, the inaugural title in their forthcoming Lou Reed Archive Series, out August 26th. Released in tandem with the late artist’s 80th birthday celebrations, Words & Music, May 1965 offers an extraordinary, unvarnished, and plainly poignant insight into one of America’s true poet-songwriters. Capturing Reed in his formative years, this previously unreleased collection of songs—penned by a young Lou Reed, recorded to tape with the help of future bandmate John Cale, and mailed to himself as a “poor man’s copyright”—remained sealed in its original envelope and unopened for nearly 50 years. Its contents embody some of the most vital, groundbreaking contributions to American popular music committed to tape in the 20th century. Like the previously shared demo of “I’m Waiting For The Man,” this version of “Heroin” is the earliest known recording of The Velvet Underground’s beloved track, and offers another stunning peak into Reed’s creative process.

Listen to Lou Reed’s May 1965 demo of “Heroin” 

Listen to Lou Reed’s May 1965 demo of “I’m Waiting for the Man”

Words & Music, May 1965 will be available on August 26th in a variety of formats, including LP, cassette, 8-track, digital, and CD. The centerpiece of the inaugural Lou Reed Archive Series release is the Deluxe 45-RPM Double LP Edition of Words & Music, May 1965. Limited to 7,500 copies worldwide, this collection was designed by multi-GRAMMY®-winning artist Masaki Koike and features a stylized, die-cut gatefold jacket manufactured by Stoughton Printing Co. Housed inside are two 45-RPM 12-inch LPs, pressed on HQ-audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI) featuring the only vinyl release of “I’m Waiting for the Man – May 1965 Alternate Version.” A bonus 7-inch, housed in its own unique die-cut picture sleeve and manufactured at Third Man Record Pressing includes the only vinyl release of six previously-unreleased bonus tracks providing a never-before-seen glimpse into Reed’s formative years, including early demos, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” and a doo-wop serenade recorded in 1958 when the legendary singer-songwriter was just sixteen years old. An accompanying saddle-stitched, die-cut 28-page book features lyrics, archival photos, and liner notes. Also included is an archival reproduction of a rarely-seen letter, written by Reed to his college professor and poet, Delmore Schwartz, circa 1964. The set includes a CD containing the complete audio from the package, housed in a die-cut jacket.

The 11-track digital release of Words & Music, May 1965 will be available across all platforms, alongside the physical formats, on August 26th. A six-song digital EP, Gee Whiz, 1958-1964, drops on October 7th, offering the above-mentioned bonus content.

 
Pre-order Words & Music, May 1965
 

To help celebrate the release, Light in the Attic will also invite listeners to intimately experience Words & Music through a podcast hosted by TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe. In partnership with Little Everywhere and Ruinous Media, this special program will feature exclusive audio, archival materials, and interviews with many of the album’s participants. Available on all podcast platforms on August 26th.

For those seeking an even deeper dive into Reed’s legacy, ​​The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (which houses Reed’s recently-unearthed recordings) will be hosting a special exhibit this spring, curated by Don Fleming and Jason Stern. Opening June 9, Lou Reed: Caught Between the Twisted Stars will chronicle the life’s work of the songwriter, musician, performer, photographer, poet, and accomplished tai chi practitioner—as through the voices, images, and music of Reed and his collaborators. For more information, visit nypl.org.

Throughout 2022 and beyond, Light in the Attic will continue to honor the music and influence of Reed through the Lou Reed Archive Series. Visit LightInTheAttic.net or LouReedArchive.com to learn more, and stay tuned for forthcoming releases.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

WSND DJ set list – Deep Dive of Tom Jones

It was a fun deep dive tonight of Tom Jones‘ music on July 24, 2022. Here’s the set list.

  1. Tom Jones – It’s Not Unusual
  2. Solomon Burke – Cry to Me
  3. Jackie Wilson – (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
  4. Brook Benton – It’s Just a Matter of Time
  5. Tommy Scott and The Senators – Baby I’m in Love
  6. Tom Jones – Chills and Fever
  7. Tom Jones – Thunderball (live)
  8. Tom Jones and The Flaming Lips – Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century (requested)
  9. Tom Jones – With These Hands
  10. Elvis Presley – One Pair of Hands
  11. Tom Jones – Sixteen Tons
  12. Tom Jones – I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
  13. Lonnie Donegan – The Wabash Cannonball (live)
  14. Tom Jones – Twist and Shout (live)
  15. Tom Jones – Treat Her Right (live)
  16. Tom Jones and Little Richard – Rock ‘n’ Roll Medley (live)
  17. Tom Jones and Janis Joplin – Raise Your Hand (live)
  18. Tom Jones – She’s a Lady
  19. Tom Jones – Resurrection Shuffle (requested)
  20. The Blossoms – He’s a Rebel
  21. Quiet Elegance – I’m Afraid of Losing You
  22. Tom Jones – Touch Me
  23. Tom Jones and Art of Noise – Kiss
  24. Tom Jones – Lift Me Up
  25. Tom Jones and Portishead – Motherless Child
  26. Tom Jones and The Cardigans – Burning Down the House (requested)
  27. Tom Jones and Stereophonics – Mama Told Me Not to Come (requested)
  28. Tom Jones – Burning Hell
  29. Tom Jones and Jack White – Evil

Up next week is a deep dive of Fatboy Slim. I hope you give me a listen.

Keep your mind open.

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WSND DJ set list – Deep Dive of Kraftwerk

Thanks to all who tuned in for my deep dive of Kraftwerk. It was a fun show. Here’s the set list from July 17, 2022.

  1. Kraftwerk – The Robots
  2. Organisation – Silver Forest
  3. NEU! – Isi
  4. Kraftwerk – First Techno (live)
  5. Kraftwerk – Köln II (live)
  6. Kraftwerk – Elektrischesroulette
  7. MC5 – Kick Out the Jams (live)
  8. Kraftwerk – Autobahn (single version)
  9. Kraftwerk – Radioactivity
  10. Kraftwerk – Trans Europa Express (original German language version)
  11. Kraftwerk – Les Mannequins (original French language version)
  12. Joy Division – Dead Souls
  13. Kraftwerk – The Model
  14. Kraftwerk – Computer Love
  15. Kraftwerk – Pocket Calculator (live)
  16. LCD Soundsystem – Disco Infiltrator (single version)
  17. Kraftwerk – Electric Café
  18. Kraftwerk – The Telephone Call
  19. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Hall of Mirrors
  20. Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark – Neon Lights
  21. Kraftwerk – Elektro Kardiogramm

The next deep dive will be either July 24th or July 30th (depending on some travel plans I have for the weekend of the 24th) and will cover the music of Tom Jones.

Keep your mind open.

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We can now hear Charles Stepney’s original 4-track demo of “That’s the Way of the World.”

Photo by Rubie Stepney

Today, Chicago label International Anthem presents “That’s The Way of the World,” the latest track off Step on Step, the forthcoming double LP collection of home recordings by the late and under-sung legend Charles Stepney, out September 9th. This recording of “That’s The Way of the World” encapsulates an iconic piece of music history: the eventual studio version of the song, co-written by Stepney and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice and Verdine White, and arranged by Stepney for the EWF album and film of the same name, would become one of the biggest recordings ever released by the band. Deemed one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone, this original 4-track demo version of “That’s The Way of the World” offers an unprecedented look into Stepney’s creative process, and helps us understand what EWF lead singer Philip Bailey meant when he said in 2001: “The success of Earth Wind & Fire, and all our great songs that we made in that era, would not, could not, and wouldn’t have been made without Charles Stepney. He was very much an equal part, or more, than all of us put together.”

 
Listen to “That’s The Way of the World”

The digital cover art for today’s “That’s The Way of The World” is an old family photo of Stepney’s youngest daughter Chanté (who was just a toddler when her father passed away in 1976), in a high chair at their family home on the Southside of Chicago. About the photo, Chanté says: “People often ask if I’m sad that I don’t remember him, and while I wish I could recall more, my family has done an amazing job with giving me a full understanding of who he was as a man, father, musician, etc… I’m told wonderful stories of how he would prepare my breakfast and put me in the high chair to eat. A couple years ago, Shirley Wahls told me that the lyrics to “That’s the Way of the World” were partially inspired by my birth… Everyone thought it was pretty cool that Charles and Rubie were having a BABY at their age!”
 
The forthcoming Step on Step, Charles Stepney’s de-facto debut album that releases almost 50 years since his passing, features 23 tracks, most of which are original compositions by Stepney that were never again recorded by him or any other artist. It also features prototypical, seedling-style demos of Stepney compositions for Earth, Wind & Fire, including today’s “That’s The Way of The World,” “Imagination,” and “On Your Face,” as well as the original version of “Black Gold,” which would eventually be recorded by Rotary Connection (as “I Am The Black Gold of The Sun,” with lyrics by Richard Rudolph).
 
The album’s announcement and lead singles “Step on Step,” “Daddy’s Diddies,” and “Look B4U Leap” has brought on excitement from many longtime fans of Stepney’s work, including most recently Tyler The Creator, who played “Daddy’s Diddies” on a recent NTS Radio show while bantering: “Charles Stepney…Genius!”

All of the otherwise unrecorded, previously unnamed original compositions contained on Step on Step were given their titles by Stepney’s daughters Eibur, Charlene, and Chanté Stepney, whose voices are also heard throughout the album, telling stories and sharing memories about their father.

In celebration of Step on Step, The Stepney Sisters and International Anthem are hosting a series of events across Chicago this summer. Dubbed the “Summer of Stepney,” these events will extend through September and include performances by a new large ensemble – Rotary Connection 222 – under the musical direction of International Anthem recording artist Junius Paul. Rotary Connection 222 was created by Paul in collaboration with the Stepney Sisters, and in its current state features Makaya McCraven (drums), Jackson Shepard (guitar), Alexis Lombre (keys), Meagan McNeal (vocals), and Stepney’s granddaughter Brandice Manuel (vocals), with new arrangements written by De’Sean Jones and Jeff Parker.

Summer of Stepney highlights will include a series of documentary webisodes created by filmmaker Brian Ashby (Scrappers, The Area, Hairy Who & the Chicago Imagists), in-stores, live streams, interviews, and an August 18th show called Charles Stepney: Out of the Shadows on Chicago’s grandest public performance stage, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park.

The next Summer of Stepney event is a day party at iconic Chicago record store Dusty Groove on Saturday July 23rd, featuring DJ sets by Wax Poetics writer Ronnie Reese, and more.

For more information about Charles Stepney, Rotary Connection 222, Summer of Stepney events, and the Charles Stepney: Out of the Shadows performance at Millennium Park, visit www.summerofstepney.com.

 
Pre-order Step on Step
 
Listen to “Step on Step” by Charles Stepney
 
Listen to “Daddy’s Diddies” by Charles Stepney
 
Listen To “Look B4U Leap” by Charles Stepney

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

WSND DJ set list – Deep Dive of Robert Palmer

Thanks to all who tuned in for my Deep Dive of the music of Robert Palmer. Here’s what I played on July 03, 2022.

  1. Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love
  2. The Alan Bown – Gypsy Girl
  3. Dada – Big Dipper
  4. Vinegar Joe – Rusty Red Armor (live)
  5. Lee Dorsey – Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley
  6. The Meters – Cissy Strut
  7. Little Feat – Willin’ (live)
  8. Robert Palmer – Get Outside
  9. Toots and the Maytals – Pressure Drop
  10. Robert Palmer – Here with You Tonight
  11. Robert Palmer – Man Smart, Woman Smarter
  12. Robert Palmer – Every Kinda People (live)
  13. Bonnie Raitt – You’re Gonna Get What’s Coming
  14. Robert Palmer – Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
  15. Robert Palmer – Jealous
  16. Desmond Dekker – Moving On
  17. Talking Heads – Houses in Motion
  18. Robert Palmer – Looking for Clues
  19. Gary Numan – I Dream of Wires
  20. Robert Palmer – Some Guys Have All the Luck
  21. Robert Palmer – You Are in My System
  22. Duran Duran – Is There Something I Should Know?
  23. The Power Station – Communication
  24. Robert Palmer – Riptide (requested)
  25. Robert Palmer – Discipline of Love (live)
  26. Robert Palmer – Simply Irresistible
  27. Robert Palmer and James Brown – I Feel Good / Out of Sight (live)

Next week is a deep dive of Failure. Don’t miss it.

Keep your mind open.

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WSND set list – Deep Dive of Midnight Oil – June 19, 2022

I did a deep dive of the music of Midnight Oil in celebration of their final tour. Don’t miss them if they come close to you, or drive eight hours to see them if you must. Here’s the set list from the show:

  1. Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning
  2. Cream – I Feel Free
  3. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son
  4. Focus – House of the King
  5. Jimi Hendrix – The Burning of the Midnight Lamp
  6. Midnight Oil – Run By Night
  7. Midnight Oil – Powderworks
  8. Supercharge – You’ve Gotta Get Up and Dance
  9. Midnight Oil – Cold Cold Change (live)
  10. Midnight Oil – Wedding Cake Island
  11. Midnight Oil – Don’t Wanna Be the One
  12. Midnight Oil – Power and the Passion
  13. Midnight Oil – Read About It (live)
  14. Midnight Oil – When the Generals Talk
  15. Midnight Oil – Kosciuszko (live)
  16. Midnight Oil – Hercules
  17. The Swingers – One Good Reason
  18. Midnight Oil – Dreamworld
  19. Midnight Oil – Blue Sky Mine
  20. Midnight Oil – King of the Mountain (live)
  21. Midnight Oil – Renaissance Man
  22. Midnight Oil – Underwater
  23. Midnight Oil – Forgotten Years (live)
  24. Midnight Oil – Rising Seas

Thanks for listening. The next Deep Dive will be of Hank Williams.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Midnight Oil – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL – June 10, 2022

I got to Chicago’s Riviera Theatre too late to catch Leah Flanagan‘s solo acoustic set, but I did see that she had a good number of people paying rapt attention to her as she played her last song.

Midnight Oil, on their final tour, had packed the venue. The Riviera always seems to be about fifteen degrees warmer than outside of the building – and certainly more humid – and the night of June 10, 2022 was no exception. At least two people had to be helped from the main floor due to heat exhaustion during Midnight Oil’s set.

The Australian powerhouses put on a killer show that lasted over two hours and had two encores.

The first thing you notice when you see Midnight Oil is that lead singer Peter Garrett‘s voice has lost none of its power. He was hitting high notes and punk rage screams right out of the gate on “Nobody’s Child.” They thanked the Chicago crowd, stating that the city had always been good to them throughout their career.

There were a lot of great cuts, both new and classics. “Truganini” had everyone jumping. “Gadigal Land” and “The Dead Heart” had everyone singing along. It was also cool to hear “Kosciusko,” an oldie but goodie, and, of course, “Beds Are Burning” is still as powerful as it was when it was first released.

There was also, as to be expected at a Midnight Oil show, plenty of political talk and activism. The band highlighted the plights of Native Australians and Americans, the climate change crisis, the absurdity of the U.S. health care industry, and the circus of our political climate.

“King of the Mountain” and “Dreamworld,” each in its own encore, had everyone pumping their fists and getting charged up to change the world – which is always what Midnight Oil have wanted us to do.

Don’t miss them if they’re near you, or even if they’re a long drive away. Again, it’s their final tour. They’ve stated that they will continue to make music, but this is your last chance to see them live. They’re not the kind of band to do multiple “last tours” for a cash grab. They keep their word.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Astrud Gilberto – 5 Original Albums Verve Collection (2016)

I scored this lovely and bargain-priced (twenty bucks!) mini-set of five classic albums by bossa nova queen Astrud Gilberto while on a late winter trip to California. The set covers records released by Gilberto (Yes, the first wife of Brazilian composer João Gilberto and stepmother to Bebel Gilberto.) from 1965 to 1969. In particular, they are her first (The Astrud Gilberto Album – 1965), third (Look to the Rainbow – 1966), fourth (A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness – 1966), sixth (Windy – 1968), and seventh (I Haven’t Got Anything Better to Do – 1969) records, and all of them are delightful.

The first album pairs her with the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim, who wrote her famous hit “The Girl from Ipanema.” Like that song (which is not on this record, but rather on the other classic Getz / Gilberto), this album is an instant mood-changer. Starting with “Once I Loved,” and Gilberto singing that “love is the saddest thing when it goes away,” everything around you adapts to her voice. Her duo with Jobim on “Agua De Beber” is another song that brings a smile to your face, and Joao Donato‘s piano on it is a delight while Jobim’s subtle guitar strumming hits harder than most metal records. Gilberto sings about the nerves associated with new love on “And Roses and Roses” while snappy percussion sizzles and soothes behind her. “How Insensitive” is heart-breaking yet alluring. “Dindi” is a bossa nova standard, and Gilberto does a great version of it here.

Look to the Rainbow is full of stunning arrangements by Gil Evans. Opener “Berimbou” would fit into a 1960’s Bond film with its lush horn section and exotic strings. The horns on “Fervo” might inspire a wild party in the streets. “Maria Quiet” is, I’m sure, being played in a Tiki bar somewhere right now. “Bim Bom” is peppy and bouncy, sure to flood a dance floor in that Tiki bar. “El Preciso Aprender a Ser So (Learn to Live Alone)” is one of those songs Gilberto pulls off so well – longing and yearning mixed with Zen-like detachment.

A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness teams Gilberto with the Walter Wanderley Trio. Wanderley was an organ maestro who played on “The Girl from Ipanema,” and his band (Jose Marino – bass, Bobby Rosengarden – percussion, Claudio Slon – drums) are all sharp pros. The first two tracks are the double title tracks and both are bossa nova lounge classics. Wanderley’s organ riffs on “Nega” are the sounds of a hundred drive-in intermission countdowns, and Gilberto’s playful vocals on it are a delight. “So Nice (Summer Samba)” is another bossa nova classic, and it’s great to hear Wanderley strut his stuff on it while Rosengarden adds some spicy beats Any melancholy you might be feeling is wiped out by “Goodbye Sadness (Tristeza).” If the closer, “It’s a Lovely Day Today,” doesn’t cheer you up, I don’t know what will.

Windy was cut while Gilberto was living in Philadelphia and raising her and João’s son, Marcelo (with whom she shares vocals on “The Bare Necessities”). A lot of the songs are the album are big and bold, suitable for a Las Vegas nightclub or your party’s hi-fi. Opening track “Dreamy” is a perfect example with its lively brass section. “Never My Love” exudes soft 1960s psychedelia. She nails the title track (a cover of the classic hit by The Association), taking on the identity of the mysterious, playful woman as her own. Her cover of The Beatles‘ “In My Life” is also lovely.

According to the liner notes, Gilberto calls I Haven’t Got Anything Better to Do her “fireplace album.” She wanted to make a record that moved away from the aggressive sounds dominating the 1969 airwaves and could be listened to while curled up next to a fire. She did it. “He’s got a problem if he thinks I need him,” she sings on the opening title track. She had divorced João by this point, so you can’t help imagining her singing that in his direction. The soft, subtle horns on “Wailing of the Willow” mix perfectly with Gilberto’s haunting voice. “The Sea Is My Soil (I Remember When)” again makes you wonder why Gilberto never sang the theme to a Bond film. Everyone can relate to “World Stop Turning” at one point or another as Gilberto wishes time would stop so she could stay in bed with her husband just a bit longer.

It’s a wonderful collection, and a great way to be introduced to her music and bossa nova.

Keep your mind open.

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Randy Holden set to release “Population III” – the follow-up to his 1970 classic “Population II.”

Los Angeles based unsung guitar hero Randy Holden announces the sequel to his legendary 1970 album Population II, set to arrive 52 years later, titled Population III via RidingEasy Records. The ex-Blue Cheer guitarist’s new album was recorded as a trio with members of Cactus and Black Sabbath. Hear and share the first single “Swamp Stomp” via Brooklyn Vegan HERE. (And direct via Bandcamp and YouTube.)
How do you follow up one of the most legendary, yet rarest albums said to signal the birth of doom metal? 

If you’re Randy Holden, you give everyone about 50 years to catch up, then casually drop a tastefully modernized reinterpretation of that sound. Population III picks up where Holden’s 1969 solo debut left off, updated with several decades worth of technological advances and personal hindsight. 

Following his tenure in proto-metal pioneers Blue Cheer in 1969, the guitarist aimed for more control over his next project. Thus, Randy Holden – Population II was born, the duo naming itself after the astronomical term for a particular star cluster with heavy metals present. Along with drummer/keyboardist Chris Lockheed, Holden created what many say is one of the earliest forms of doom metal. 

“Godzilla just walked into the room. People just stood there with their eyes and mouths wide open,” Holden says of the audience’s reaction to their live debut performing with a teeth-rattling phalanx of 16 (sixteen!) 200 watt Sunn amps. 
Likewise, their 6-song debut album Population II delves into leaden sludge, lumbering doom and epic soaring riffs that sound free from all constraints of the era. It’s incredibly heavy, but infused with a melodic, albeit mechanistic sensibility. However, troubles with the album’s original 1970 release bankrupted Holden, who subsequently left music for over two decades. For good reason, it’s widely hailed as a masterpiece, and until finally getting a proper formal release in 2020 on RidingEasy Records, was a longtime Holy Grail for record collectors. 

Flash forward 40 years to 2010, we find the guitarist/vocalist quietly coaxed into recording a followup album by Holden superfan and Cactus member Randy Pratt. Joined by drummer Bobby Rondinelli (who has played with Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Rainbow), the trio cut the 6-song collection of leaden future blues, Population III. “Randy Pratt had written the basic song structures, he understood my music and where I come from quite well,” Holden says. “He nailed it.” 

But the recording was ultimately shelved for over a decade. “A year ago, in 2021 I listened to the songs and was delightfully surprised,” Holden says. “I think it’s the best album I’ve ever done.” 

Throughout Population III, Holden effortlessly dishes out squealing, soaring leads and skull-thwacking riffs with his signature low end grit and penchant for Middle Eastern scales. Coupled with Pratt’s pocket-locked bass, the slight flanging effect on Rondinelli’s drums and his pugilistic beats, the album occasionally brings to mind Presence-era Led Zeppelin, particularly on the 22-minute epic “Land of The Sun.” Elsewhere, “Swamp Stomp” echoes more the troglodyte blues of Holden’s older work, with his evermore searing solos showing hints of early Clapton/Hendrix era guitar prowess to drive home the stomp of the song’s namesake. At times, Holden sounds reminiscent of Neil Young leading Crazy Horse’s ruptured grunge as his lilting falsetto vocals push and pull his guitar’s siren’s call. Taken as a whole, there’s a very distinct difference between the way these veterans of hard rock’s formative years carry the songs compared to the more lugubrious riffing of today’s young doom purveyors. Population III is the real deal — a powerful continuation of a sound forged 50 years ago, that almost didn’t happen. Somehow, Randy Holden’s music always finds a way to stand the tests of time. 

Population III will be available on LP, CD and download on July 1st, 2022 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available at ridingeasyrecs.com

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]

Review: Pastor Champion – I Just Want to Be a Good Man

Pastor Champion, who left us for the Kingdom of Heaven just as his music was being discovered, was a man of many hats: Pastor, former gang member, touring guitarist, brother, and probably many others we’ll never learn about unless secret diaries or obscure notes are found.

We do know that he preached and played for the 37th Street Baptist Church in Oakland, California. We also know that his one and only album, I Just Want to Be a Good Man, was recorded with musicians who’d never played with him before then, and it was recorded in just two nights at his church. We also know that it’s a stunning record of gospel, blues, and soul that, if there’s any justice in this valley of tears, will win a Grammy for Best Gospel Album.

Champion pleads with people to come back to the church and Christ on “I Know That You’ve Been Wounded (Church Hurt)” – a song for those who have been disappointed, hurt (physically, mentally, and / or spiritually), or crushed by the church, religion, and families and friends practicing their faith in hurtful ways. “Keep on, God will make it work,” Champion sings over simple chords that almost sound like he’s playing a ukulele.

“He’ll Make a Way (Trust in the Lord)” further emphasizes the theme of relying on faith, and the power of Champion’s faith is evident from the first notes he sings in it. The nearly seven-minute “Talk to God” has Champion grooving with these church musicians he’s barely met, and all of them slide right into his groove with the ease that comes so naturally to accomplished gospel musicians.

“Only what you do for Christ will last,” Champion sings on “In the name of Jesus (Everytime)” – a reminder to put the Creator in the lead and trust His guidance. Hearing Champion teach his impromptu band how to play “To Be Used, by You (I Just Want to Be a Good Man)” is fun to hear, and the rest of the track is lovely (and a warm-up for the closing track).

“Who Do Men Say I Am?” has Champion singing a conversation between Christ and His disciples (from the sixteenth chapter of Matthew). “Storm of Life (Stand by Me)” has Champion crying out to God about troubles that plague him at work, at home, at church, and practically everywhere else – including his worry that he might not be ready for death. “In the Service of the Lord” has some of Champion’s most passionate vocals, and that’s saying something when you consider how much he professes his face throughout the record.

The album closes with the title track, expanding on the earlier version of it with, somehow, even more soul and longing. “Tell me, tell me, tell me, Jesus, what do you want me to do?” Champion sings.

He’s doing things we can’t even fathom now, but at least we have this record as a light in gloomy times.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]