Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Cross Rhythms have long been aficionados of Florida's Sullivan and Iola Pugh, otherwise known as The Consolers. Through the '50s and early '60s their recordings for Nashboro Records were stirring examples of raw, uplifting gospel and throughout their long career they never changed much stylistically. In an era when the sound of gospel was changing first with the frenetic fire of the quartets and then with the increasingly sophisticated rhythms of soul-influenced production, The Consolers stayed true to their rural sound, once described in Bil Carpenter's Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia as "With just a guitar and two roughshod vocals, this married duo provided the public with an array of plaintive sermonettes, praise tunes and guilt-laden songs about wayward children." If you've yet to encounter their music this 37-song compilation is a brilliant place to start bringing together such classics as "How Long Has It Been Since You've Been Home" (both the 1954 and 1961 recordings) and "Give Me My Flowers" together with rare early recordings made when they were starting off as the Miami Soul Stirrers. I'd like to have seen "Waiting For My Child" (a great song later covered by Pop Staples) included but that's just being picky. Compiler Sacre has done a wonderful job and there are finely researched sleevenotes from Eli 'Paperboy' Reed. Thoroughly recommended.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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