Artist.......: Staple Singers
Album........: Be What You Are (Stax)
Label........: Stax
Genre........: Soul
Catnr........: 8553
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Jan-13-2006
str.date.....: 000-00-1973
quality......: VBR/44.1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: n/a
track title time
01. be what you are 05:03
02. if you're ready (come go with me) 04:29
03. medley- love comes in all colors,tellin' 08:52
lies
04. touch a hand, make a friend 04:05
05. drown yourself 04:39
06. i ain't raisin' no sand 06:34
07. grandma's hands 02:43
08. bridges instead of walls 04:05
09. i'm on your side 04:01
10. that's what friends are for 04:17
11. heaven 03:36
Runtime 52:24 min
Size 72,3 MB
Release Notes:
By the early '70s, despite a roster that included
the Dramatics and Isaac Hayes, Stax Records was
winding down. The Staple Singers, signed to the
label in the late '60s, always provided hit singles
and respected album efforts. Despite their gospel
beginnings, the Staple Singers' biggest draws
became Pops Staples' blues-based "devil's music"
guitar and Mavis Staples' breathy and sexy vocals.
Their 1972 album, Be Altitude: Respect Yourself,
all but set the template for their subsequent work.
Be What You Are in some respects is an often overly
cautious follow-up. The first single, "If You're
Ready (Come Go With Me)," comes off as a softer
take on "I'll Take You There." While the
implications of having a narrow lyrical scope did
impede the group somewhat, Be What You Are has the
group mining familiar terrain with minimal wear.
Tracks like "Love Comes in All Colors," "Tellin'
Lies," and the masterful "Touch a Hand, Make a
Friend" are all strong and well-produced tracks in
the group's rural yet urbane style. The effort's
lone cover of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands,"
despite Mavis Staples' lead, comes up short due to
the perfection of the Withers original. Mavis
Staples also gets two solo efforts here, including
Bettye Crutcher's tough "Drown Yourself" and the
spare "Heaven." Be What You Are isn't as strong or
innovative as its predecessor, but it is a cohesive
album and a must-have for fans