Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

This three disc anthology from Discovery Records hones in on the formative years of the Staple Singers by featuring recordings that the group made for the United, Vee-Jay, Sharp, Gospel and Riverside labels during the period of 1953 right through to 1962. Years away from the fuller Stax sound they would achieve with hits like "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There", this collection highlights the fact that the Staples' default sound of Pops' jittery tremolo guitar, Mavis' powerhouse tones and straightforward backing vocals from her siblings - originally just Cleotha and Pervis - was already more or less locked in. In fact, apart from adding the odd bit of handclapping, organ or piano, Pops and the kids didn't really deviate from that format in the nine years covered by this release which does make proceedings a touch on the repetitive side - especially with the group's habit of performing almost everything slow to mid-tempo. Nonetheless, there is much to enjoy whether it be their breakthrough record "Uncloudy Day" or their take on spirituals such as "Swing Low" or "Sit Down Servant" whilst tracks like the future civil rights anthem "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and the progenitor to the Rolling Stones hit of nearly the same name and melody "This May Be The Last Time" have obvious historical significance. Despite the grainy quality of many of the recordings harvested for this compilation, what really shines through is the sheer talent and vocal maturity of Mavis Staples - remarkably aged just 14 when the very first track "It Rained Children" was recorded - and the Staple Singers' longevity, success and far-reaching influence is in many ways as much down to her God-given gifts as it is anything else. A fascinating and in-depth inlay card biography of the band by Paul Watts completes this historically worthwhile offering.

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