Tree Hugger Balustrade writes: I humbly submit to the curators of the fantastic Forest Roxxx a solemn and uplifting album that will hopefully carry us all home to victory next Tuesday. I've been listening to a lot of gospel lately, and this album is absolute gold, a true gem that I have played 50+ times in the last three months. I even bumped it loudly from the cabin of a night train to Romania, which elicited a shushing by the porter of our car. Thing is, true faith can't be shushed, so I recommend blaring some Famous L. Renfroe on our way to the promised land.
17dots: We know absolutely nothing about this album, and seemingly neither does the label. A promo of Children made its way to Joe and I, and we immediately fell madly, deeply in love. This is really raw R&B/soul from the late ’60s/early ’70s, loud and boisterous and just loose and shitty-sounding enough to really drive home how special the record is. Check noted soul aficionado Mike McGonigal’s review for yet more enthusiasm. Start with the title track, and work out from there. Seriously, this is amazing.
Euclid Records: No one seems to know much about Famous L. Renfroe's "Children", including Fat Possum--the label that's issuing it--they've even misspelled Renfroe's name on their own website. I first heard of this great lost soul/gospel album through the efforts of legendary zinester and gospel music afficianado Mike McGonigal, who even went to the trouble of contacting gospel music scholars in hopes of finding more information, and turned up...nothing.
All we have to go on is this artist's statement: "A long time ago I used to hear beautiful spiritual singers singing beautiful spiritual songs and I wanted to be a singer too. I first started my musical career by singing in small local groups in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. In the year 1968, I came to Seattle Washington and started singing with local groups but failed to find one that was stable enough to record so I decided to cut an album by myself. The music was written and produced by myself who except for the drum parts, done the entire record." Intrigued yet?
"Children"--apparently cut in 1969 in Memphis--features funky guitar vamps and idiosyncratic gospel quartet styled harmonies that apparently are all sung by Renfroe himself. This album is raw, mysterious and so inspired that it makes you catch the spirit whether you're so inclined or not. One of the guys on staff here mentioned to me the other day that he was so glad that he's heard this album--if he were lying on his death bed, this is what he'd want playing in the background. Not a bad way to go out. I have a feeling that "Children" will slip under almost everyone's radar this year, but make sure that you don't miss out.
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