Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Various Artists - Fire In My Bones [Tompkins Square - 2009]

Fire in My Bones is an exceptional, varied & near faultless three disc compilation of African American Gospel music from between 1944 & 2007- which will appeal to anyone who enjoys passionate, varied & often suprising/off-kliter sonic fare. 

In all the set offers up  over 75  tracks of the lord praising  wonder, god loving Hallelujah & general feel good / joyful sonic worship  that touches down in all manner of musical genres from the blues, Rock ´n Roll, striped & passionate soul music, organ led Evangelical out burst, onto other worldly often quite noisy vocalising & praise, and all manner of surprising sonic fare in-between; really the collection works as a sonic all praising chocolate box.

To give you an idea of the variation here are a few of my present favourites of this massive collection.  All from Disc one are: The slowed Hawaiian guitar blues & mellow clicking drums of the instrumental  of ´Peace in The Valley´ by Rev. Lonnie Farris. The honking & foot stomp gospel blue grass of ´Better get Ready´ by Roma Wilson & Family. The Flute & war drum American Indian meets gospel almost lost holler of ´why Sorrow Done Pass Me´. From Disc two: The raw harmonica honk & haphazard stop for praise of  ´Glory, Glory Hallelujah´ by Napolian Stickland, The grooving & funky  mix of organ pump, pushing & slowed Hendrix  like rock guitar and vocalising of ´Walk with Me´ by the Rayborn Brothers Quintet.  From disc three: Rev John Williams ´Let the Redeemed Say So´ with it´s warming & earthy Chet Akins like country acoustic guitar pick & strum topped off with the Revent´s soulful rich yet cool vocals. The slowed slightly wonky drum heartbeat & vinyl crackled stumbling piano/ organ of ´At A time like This (Pt1)´ which features Isaac Haney & The Ebenezer Baptist Church choir singing their joint hearts out in slow foot tapping wonder. On to the down ´n´ dirty slightly discontent blues strut & single raw gospel  holler of ´don´t Let the devil ride with you´ by Ike Gordon.

The collection goes from down ´n´ dirty earthy & slightly wonky, onto heart-felt, smiling bringing & elegant, onto cool, rocking & funky. And the way the compilation is programmed in quite a haphazard not really following recording dates or themes each new track is it´s own surprise & treasure even after multiple plays, truly this is one of the most surprising, varied & worthwhile Gospel Collections I´ve come across..

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Roger Batty
Latest Reviews

Various Artists - Fire In My Bones
Fire in My Bones is an exceptional, varied & near faultless three disc compilation of African American Gospel music from between 1944 & 200...
060725   RDKPL - Herr Pes Trinch
050725   Stinking Lizaveta - Hopeless...
030725   Yann Novak - Continuity
030725   Tourist Trap - Tourist Trap( ...
030725   Palindromes - Palindromes( Bl...
020725   Noise Trail Immersion - Tutt...
010725   Atomic Rooster - Atomic Roos...
010725   Con Funk Shun - Organized
010725   Various Artists - Heatwave- T...
010725   The Good, The Bad, The Weird ...
Latest Articles

Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sharp t...
It’s fair to say the Sharksploitation genre is often tried, tested, and to be honest, tired. Fear Below is a 2025 Australian film that tries to do some...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
110325   Sebastian Tomb - Walls of unb...
040225   Alien Sex Fiend - Possessed B...
231224   Best Of 2024 - Music, Sound &...
191224   Splintered - Somewhere Betwee...
031224   Shane Ryan-Reid - Coerced and...
221024   Whore’s Breath - life’s h...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom