Sunday post-morning gospel: The Sons of the Gospel--He Will Save Your Soul Yet

I'd like this LP even more if it were The Songs of the Gospel by the Sons of the Gospel.  That would be classic.  But it's He Will Save Your Soul Yet, which is a slightly unusual title, but one that makes sense when you hear the number it's attached to.  Three originals by band members, with the rest by folks like Wm. (I'm assuming Bill) Monroe, the Stanley Bros., and Don Reno.  Notes: "Our group is made up of five God-fearing, born again Christmas men serving the Lord in the old fashioned way.  We sing and play 'Blue Grass' gospel music; the kind we were all raised by."  I think they mean "raised on," and they are definitely Bluegrass gospel--one look at that nicely-posed cover photo tells us as much.  As for "the old fashioned way," for that to be fully true, they'd have to be wearing clothes of an earlier period, but I just have fun harping on that point.  "Old fashioned" is being used here to mean honest, genuine.

Excellent stuff from an LP played a lot by the previous owner, and I almost got it posted last week, but not quite.  I was to the wire, and I decided sleep was more important than finishing the entry.  Then, when I got home, I was tired.  Just like today.  This bug is doing a good job postponing its exit, but I think I can get rid of it before it becomes something worse.  My tactic is simple: when my body wants to sleep, I let it.  I assume it's my immune system needing a recharge.

I should know where Galion, Ohio is, but I don't.  So many towns in Ohio.  We have so many towns and villages in my state, I think the whole town concept was invented here.  Hm.  Not terribly far from here.  Around Mansfield.  At first, I thought the band members were all from Ohio, but in fact the back-jacket notes (included in the zip file) simply say they resided here.  Chuck Walton, who wrote A Home in Heaven, was teased by the group for being the only "Buckeye," meaning everyone else was originally from outside of Ohio.  Not surprising, since this is a bluegrass group.  When you see the back jacket, you'll note that its group shot is posed far less artistically than the front pic--maybe the shot is from a different session.  I'd almost guess a different photographer, given the elegant positioning of the members on the front.

I'll leave you at the mercy of the label scans for the track listings, as my head is feeling woozy.  I'm not up to typing out the titles (I'm about medium woozy).  We're having a big bump up in temperature today, so maybe the wonky patterns are confusing my sinuses.  Doesn't take much!  Enjoy.




DOWNLOAD: The Sons of the Gospel--He Will Save Your Soul Yet






International Rural Music of America, Inc. (Rite Records 27635/36; approx. 1971)


Lee