Rev F W McGee - The Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol 2 1929-1930

Published Saturday 12th April 2008
Rev F W McGee - The Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol 2 1929-1930
Rev F W McGee - The Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol 2 1929-1930

STYLE: Gospel
RATING 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 21379-12046
LABEL: Document BDCD6032
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RRP: £9.99

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

This, the second of two volumes of all the known sermons released by the fiery Chicago preacher, still make fascinating listening today. Sometimes you wish that the song fragments with which the good reverend interspersed his messages could have gone a bit longer but his gritty preaching itself has its own musicality. As the sleevenote reads, "A close listen to McGee's preaching underlines the musical subtleties inherent in black speech. This is an aspect of black culture that white listeners have been slow to appreciate, even as a major form of black music achieves mass popularity in the guise of rap music. Like much of America's popular music rap has some of its deepest roots in the black church and Rev McGee's rich voice and musical style of preaching have a great deal to offer to an unbiased listener." The themes are fascinating too. "Women's Clothes (You Can't Hide)" is an amusing chastisement on the length of women's skirts; "Testifyin' Meeting" is an exciting celebration of new birth while "The Sure Route Excursion To Hell" is so packed with power and passion that it had to be released in two parts on a 78.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.