Reviewed by Gareth Hills

Already taken with the pun-tastic title, I expected great things from this compilation of born again funk, a collection of gospel funk oldies - many of amazing obscurity - compiled largely from singles released on small Chicago-based record labels during the 1960s and '70s. The album covers a lot of ground, from the bluesy "Troubles Of The World" by Brother Samuel Cheatham to the straight-ahead four-on-the-floor groove of "Pray A Little Longer" by Lucy "Sister Soul" Rodgers. I was particularly impressed with the inclusion of liner notes which provided fascinating titbits of trivia for each track together with rare photos and even reproductions of some of the original release record labels. Such sleeve notes reveal that the viciously funky "If Jesus Came Today" by the Gospel Soul Revivals was apparently improvised entirely on the spot. Although some of the recordings are raw and you will occasionally encounter an out of tune guitar or a lead vocalist demonstrating more passion than musicality, the overall impression here is of grassroots gospel talent joyfully grabbing their moment of recording studio exposure. So even though you may not have heard of Pastor T L Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir, the Sensational Five, the Chicago Travellers or Andrew Wartts & The Gospel Storytellers and don't mind a slightly muddy sound this is a fantastic collection of rare groove, that perfectly encapsulates the gospel message within a shell of gritty, funk-tinged gospel.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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