MAVIS STAPLES
''LIVIN' ON A HIGH NOTE''
FEBRUARY 19 2016
38:42
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1 Take Us Back 03:15
2 Love And Trust 03:19
3 If It's A Light 03:04
4 Action 03:06
5 High Note 03:31
6 Don't Cry 02:48
7 Tomorrow 03:20
8 Dedicated 03:56
9 History, Now 02:07
10 One Love 03:10
11 Jesus Lay Down Beside Me 04:05
12 MLKSong 02:53
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REVIEW/AMG
Andy Kellman
The title of Mavis Staples' fourth studio album for the Anti- label could apply to any given point in the singer's career, but in early 2016 it seemed especially apt. Livin' on a High Note was released the week her version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" won a Grammy -- only her second -- in the category of Best American Roots Performance, and preceded the HBO premiere of the documentary Mavis! by a couple weeks. Staples was in the public consciousness as much as ever and was continuing to move in new directions. While the 2015 EP, Your Good Fortune, was made strictly with Son Little, and the preceding albums saw her work closely with Jeff Tweedy, this one was produced by M. Ward, another seasoned and sympathetic musician previously outside the Staples sphere. Material was sought from a wide-ranging roster of songwriters -- such as Valerie June, Ben Harper, Neko Case, and Merrill Garbus -- some of whom had to do a bit of homework prior to writing. Staples and her backing band, including backing vocalists Donny Gerrard and Vicki Randle, recorded with Ward, who made some lyrical and musical adjustments and otherwise kept the process as simple as possible. Inspired by Pharrell Williams' "Happy," Staples requested joyous material from her collaborators and got it, though it's all more true to her and her family group's past than to '60s pop-soul Motown, both in sound and in lyrical content. Compared to You Are Not Alone and One True Vine, the quality of the material is more variable. Some of it is memorable only for Staples' stamp, but there are several standouts, like Benjamin Booker's welcoming opener "Take Us Back" and Nick Cave's consoling "Jesus Lay Down Beside Me." (Imagine Staples being handed a copy of Junkyard.) Ward himself co-wrote two of the more compelling songs. "Dedicated," a soft and contented love song, co-written by Justin Vernon, regards an enduring romance, while the closing number -- the barest song on the album -- incorporates words from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Drum Major Instinct" sermon. Staples' heart and soul are in it from front to back, and when the songs aren't up to her standard, hope, love, and positivity still beam through.
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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Rob Bowman
Born in 1939 in Chicago, Mavis Staples achieved wide recognition as lead singer for the Staple Singers. She first recorded solo for Stax subsidiary Volt in 1969. Subsequent efforts included a Curtis Mayfield-produced soundtrack on Curtom, a disappointing nod to disco for Warner in 1979, a misguided stab at electro-pop with Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1984, and an uneven album for Paisley Park. Staples has a rich contralto voice that has neither the range of Aretha Franklin nor the power of Patti LaBelle. Her otherworldly power comes instead from a masterful command of phrasing and a deep-seated sensuality expressed through timbre manipulation. Both the Staple Singers and Mavis found fresh audiences stemming from their participation on the CD Rhythm Country and Blues, and in 1996 she issued Spirituals & Gospel: Dedicated to Mahalia Jackson. Her next recording project didn't land for another eight years, although Have a Little Faith on Alligator became her highest-profile release in years. We'll Never Turn Back appeared three years later in 2007. Staples teamed up with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy as producer for 2010's You Are Not Alone, which won the 2011 Grammy Award in the category of Best Americana Album. One True Vine, released in 2013, was also produced by Tweedy and featured a mix of old and new songs written by the likes of George Clinton, Alan Sparhawk (Low), and Nick Lowe. Staples and Tweedy completed the final studio sessions of Pops Staples, released in 2015 as Don't Lose This. Later that year, she released Your Good Fortune, a four-track EP made with Anti labelmate Son Little. For Livin' on a High Note, her 2016 release, she worked with M. Ward as producer, while Nick Cave, Neko Case, and Bon Iver were among its songwriters. Shortly after its release, HBO premiered Mavis!, a documentary.
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TO THE TOP
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''LIVIN' ON A HIGH NOTE''
FEBRUARY 19 2016
38:42
********************
1 Take Us Back 03:15
2 Love And Trust 03:19
3 If It's A Light 03:04
4 Action 03:06
5 High Note 03:31
6 Don't Cry 02:48
7 Tomorrow 03:20
8 Dedicated 03:56
9 History, Now 02:07
10 One Love 03:10
11 Jesus Lay Down Beside Me 04:05
12 MLKSong 02:53
********************
REVIEW/AMG
Andy Kellman
The title of Mavis Staples' fourth studio album for the Anti- label could apply to any given point in the singer's career, but in early 2016 it seemed especially apt. Livin' on a High Note was released the week her version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" won a Grammy -- only her second -- in the category of Best American Roots Performance, and preceded the HBO premiere of the documentary Mavis! by a couple weeks. Staples was in the public consciousness as much as ever and was continuing to move in new directions. While the 2015 EP, Your Good Fortune, was made strictly with Son Little, and the preceding albums saw her work closely with Jeff Tweedy, this one was produced by M. Ward, another seasoned and sympathetic musician previously outside the Staples sphere. Material was sought from a wide-ranging roster of songwriters -- such as Valerie June, Ben Harper, Neko Case, and Merrill Garbus -- some of whom had to do a bit of homework prior to writing. Staples and her backing band, including backing vocalists Donny Gerrard and Vicki Randle, recorded with Ward, who made some lyrical and musical adjustments and otherwise kept the process as simple as possible. Inspired by Pharrell Williams' "Happy," Staples requested joyous material from her collaborators and got it, though it's all more true to her and her family group's past than to '60s pop-soul Motown, both in sound and in lyrical content. Compared to You Are Not Alone and One True Vine, the quality of the material is more variable. Some of it is memorable only for Staples' stamp, but there are several standouts, like Benjamin Booker's welcoming opener "Take Us Back" and Nick Cave's consoling "Jesus Lay Down Beside Me." (Imagine Staples being handed a copy of Junkyard.) Ward himself co-wrote two of the more compelling songs. "Dedicated," a soft and contented love song, co-written by Justin Vernon, regards an enduring romance, while the closing number -- the barest song on the album -- incorporates words from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Drum Major Instinct" sermon. Staples' heart and soul are in it from front to back, and when the songs aren't up to her standard, hope, love, and positivity still beam through.
********************
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Rob Bowman
Born in 1939 in Chicago, Mavis Staples achieved wide recognition as lead singer for the Staple Singers. She first recorded solo for Stax subsidiary Volt in 1969. Subsequent efforts included a Curtis Mayfield-produced soundtrack on Curtom, a disappointing nod to disco for Warner in 1979, a misguided stab at electro-pop with Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1984, and an uneven album for Paisley Park. Staples has a rich contralto voice that has neither the range of Aretha Franklin nor the power of Patti LaBelle. Her otherworldly power comes instead from a masterful command of phrasing and a deep-seated sensuality expressed through timbre manipulation. Both the Staple Singers and Mavis found fresh audiences stemming from their participation on the CD Rhythm Country and Blues, and in 1996 she issued Spirituals & Gospel: Dedicated to Mahalia Jackson. Her next recording project didn't land for another eight years, although Have a Little Faith on Alligator became her highest-profile release in years. We'll Never Turn Back appeared three years later in 2007. Staples teamed up with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy as producer for 2010's You Are Not Alone, which won the 2011 Grammy Award in the category of Best Americana Album. One True Vine, released in 2013, was also produced by Tweedy and featured a mix of old and new songs written by the likes of George Clinton, Alan Sparhawk (Low), and Nick Lowe. Staples and Tweedy completed the final studio sessions of Pops Staples, released in 2015 as Don't Lose This. Later that year, she released Your Good Fortune, a four-track EP made with Anti labelmate Son Little. For Livin' on a High Note, her 2016 release, she worked with M. Ward as producer, while Nick Cave, Neko Case, and Bon Iver were among its songwriters. Shortly after its release, HBO premiered Mavis!, a documentary.
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TO THE TOP
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Muito obrigado !
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