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The Gospel of Blues | 
 enlarge | Artist: Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Label: Mca
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $7.97
You Save: $2.01 (20%)
New (37) Used (10) from $4.99
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 47605
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 000053302
UPC: 602498001363
EAN: 0602498001363
ASIN: B0000C52FF
Release Date: September 16, 2003
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | My Man And I | | • | This Train | | • | Sit Down | | • | Trouble In Mind | | • | Shout, Sister, Shout! | | • | Rock Me | | • | Nobody's Fault But Mine | | • | I Want A Tall Skinny Papa | | • | God Don't Like It | | • | What Is The Soul Of Man? | | • | Singing In My Soul | | • | Strange Things Happening Everyday | | • | Two Little Fishes And Five Loaves Of Bread | | • | Jonah | | • | Didn't It Rain | | • | The Natural Facts | | • | Down By The Riverside | | • | Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
fine single CD retrospective January 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Sister Rosetta Tharpe sang and played guitar when she performed; and this CD is nothing short of AWESOME! Her voice is in excellent form and the musical arrangements are very well done. The quality of the sound is rather good with just a little bit of surface noise on one or two tracks.
The CD opens with "My Man And I;" Sister Rosetta Tharpe sings with a guitar arrangement that works so well. Talk about that blues and gospel sound--Sister Rosetta Tharpe nails it spot on! However, despite the bluesy sound, the lyrics are surprisingly upbeat. She also belts this one out like a pro--excellent! "This Train" also features Sister Rosetta Tharpe's vocals squarely in the spotlight with a simple yet beautiful guitar arrangement. I predict that you will enjoy "This Train" very much. Moreover, listen for "Shout, Sister, Shout!" The male backup vocalists may go uncredited in the liner notes but man, how they harmonize! "Shout, Sister, Shout!" has an incredibly catchy tune that won't leave your mind anytime soon--it's THAT good! The swingin' music impresses me, too.
"I Want A Tall Skinny Papa" is clearly about a woman's desires for a man to be her own; and Sister Rosetta Tharpe sings this with passion, heart and soul. Her excellent diction bolsters her performance. Sister Tharpe has the same male backup vocalists as she had on "Shout, Sister, Shout!" Love that horn solo, too!
"Singing In My Soul" has an awesome guitar arrangement especially at the beginning; and when Sister Rosetta Tharpe comes in this number truly takes flight! Her voice never sounded better and this upbeat gospel influenced ballad is nothing short of excellent. There's also "Two Little Fishes And Five Loaves Of Bread;" this song refers back to stories of people wandering in the desert back in Biblical times. Sister Rosetta Tharpe delivers this with panache and her excellent diction stuns me. I rarely hear a singer quite this good; not only can Sister Tharpe belt it out, she sings every syllable to convey every nuance in all the lyrics of every song she performs.
"The Natural Facts" is another number that begins with a musical flourish; and Sister Tharpe never misses a note on this. Sister Rosetta Tharpe delivers this passionately as she reminds people of the importance of religion. The great part of this pro-religion song is that the melody is infectiously catchy and you'll be snapping your fingers and tapping your toes before you even know it! "The Natural Facts" features Sister Rosetta Tharpe in complete command of her performance.
"Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air" ends the album strong. The piano and guitar work wonders and listen for Marie Knight and The Sammy Price Trio to join Sister Rosetta Tharpe on this excellent number. I'm not religious--but, wow, this and the other songs on this album are irresistible!
The liner notes have nice pictures of Sister Rosetta Tharpe and we get the song credits as well.
Overall, fans of Sister Rosetta Tharpe will consider this album to be a must have for their collections. This is also an excellent starter CD for people to become familiar with the great talents of Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
 Sister Rosetta Tharpe November 21, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm always amazed at the depth of product Amazon has. I heard of a past singer on NPR who was, it seemed to me, pretty obscure and Amazon had a ton of her recordings! Great job!
Absolutely enthralling collection of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's finest Decca recordings. May 23, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Over the past three decades I had come across her name on numerous occasions. Yes, I certainly had heard of Sister Rosetta Tharpe but as far as I know I had never actually heard any of her recordings. My interest in hearing her work peaked recently after reading Gayle Ward's engaging biography of this remarkable lady entitled "Shout, Sister, Shout". After finishing the book I immediately ordered what appeared to me to be the best available collection of her music. In 2003, MCA/Decca released this marvelous single disc collection they call "Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Gospel of the Blues". This disc made me a huge fan in very short order.
"Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Gospel of the Blues" features the cream of the crop of her most productive years at Decca between 1938 and 1947. While Rosetta always considered herself to be first and foremost a gospel singer she nonethless did not hesitate to venture into other genres when the opportunity arose. You can sample some of her earliest gospel offerings on this disc. Memorable songs like "Rock Me", "Sit Down" and her own composition "This Train" were big sellers in the late 1930's. Along about 1941 Rosetta received an offer she simply could not turn down. The popular Lucky Millinder big band offered her an opportunity to be a featured vocalist. Many of her ardent gospel devotees were extremely upset with Rosetta for singing secular music. However, the gig with Lucky Millinder would prove to be highly successful and result in several of her biggest hits. You may sample three of these tunes on this disc including the rollicking "Shout, Sister, Shout", "Trouble In Mind" and the blues classic "I Want A Tall Skinny Papa" from 1942. After a few successful years with the band Sister Rosetta Tharpe decided it was time to return to her roots once again. In the mid 1940's she produced some of her very finest work. Sample Sister's take on traditional tunes like "God Don't Like It", "Didn't It Rain" and "Strange Things Happening Everyday". And if that were not enough enjoy her inspiring duet with Marie Knight "Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air". Outstanding!
I cannot say enough about "Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Gospel of the Blues". All I know is that I have become a fan for life. Pick this one up for yourself and you just might discover why a young Elvis Presley used to listen to her recordings all the time. "Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Gospel of the Blues" comes complete with a very informative 16 page booklet. Very nicely done and very highly recommended!
A Gospel Goldmine! February 15, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a prized collection of songs by the influential Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Elvis Presley's favorite gospel artist. She is raucous and wild, and her rock and roll sermons have a timeless authenticity that is sure to thrill fans of quality R&B, gospel and the blues. Hallelujah!
The Genius Of Schizophrenia...Music For Saints & Sinners Indeed June 13, 2006
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Was she a Gospel singer or a precursor of Rock and Roll? The elements of blues and swing are all here as is straight ahead heartfelt soul..The exuberance of spirit radiates throughout.
The tension on display of being the daughter of a preacher with a lustful vibrato is truly a creative process on these recordings spanning 1938-1948..
Listening to this fine single disc compilation of her more famous sides is a treat..the sound was restored using the CEDAR process, informative booklet on her life within,as the music plays on one her the soul of it all on display and it is no wonder that the many styles she lived in her private life was expressed in her music as a balancing act that is truly human.
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