City in the Sky is an album by the American music group the Staple Singers, released in 1974.[1][2] It was the group's final album for Stax Records.[3][4] The 1990s reissue appended bonus tracks from the group's set at Wattstax.[5]
| City in the Sky | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Studio | Ardent | |||
| Genre | Soul, pop | |||
| Label | Stax | |||
| Producer | Al Bell | |||
| Staple Singers chronology | ||||
| ||||
The title track was released as the first single.[6] The album peaked at No. 125 on the Billboard 200.[7]
Production
editCity in the Sky was recorded at Ardent Studios in October 1972, during sessions that were originally undertaken in order to construct a double album.[8] It was produced by Al Bell.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[10] |
| The Commercial Appeal | [5] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [12] |
Robert Christgau called City in the Sky the group's "toughest and best Stax LP," writing that "though their social vision may be vague, at least they were political before it was commercial, which gives them an edge."[10] The Sacramento Bee deemed "My Main Man" "a happy track steeped deep in reggae, churchy hand-clapping and the unmistakable Latin feel of those old Drifters records."[13]
Reviewing a reissue, The Commercial Appeal wrote that "it's one classic interpretation after another with brilliant socio-political numbers like 'Back Road Into Town', 'Washington We're Watching You' and 'Something Ain't Right'."[5] Record Collector deemed it "a solid soul album without making too many claims to be essential."[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back Road into Town" | 4:19 |
| 2. | "City in the Sky" | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Washington We're Watching You" | 3:54 |
| 4. | "Something Ain't Right" | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Today Was Tomorrow Yesterday" | 4:16 |
| 6. | "My Main Man" | 2:12 |
| 7. | "There Is a God" | 3:01 |
| 8. | "Blood Pressure" | 3:31 |
| 9. | "If It Ain't One Thing It's Another" | 4:22 |
| 10. | "Who Made the Man" | 4:13 |
| 11. | "Getting Too Big for Your Britches" | 4:42 |
Personnel
edit- Pop Staples - vocals, guitar
- Cleotha Staples - vocals
- Mavis Staples - vocals
- Yvonne Staples - vocals
References
edit- ^ "Famed Staples Singers loses family member". The Triangle Tribune. No. 7. 3 Mar 2013. p. 6B.
- ^ McNeil, W.K. (2013). Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Routledge. p. 375.
- ^ a b "Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection". Record Collector.
- ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (February 21, 2020). "The Staple Singers' 'Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection' Brings the Gospel-Soul Band's Peak Years into Focus". Rolling Stone.
- ^ a b c Ellis, Bill (February 1, 1997). "Recordings". The Commercial Appeal. p. C5.
- ^ Calloway, Earl (20 Jul 1974). "Recordings and stuff". Pittsburgh Courier. p. D4.
- ^ "The Staple Singers". Billboard.
- ^ Bowman, Rob (1997). Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records. Schirmer Books. pp. 274–275.
- ^ "City in the Sky - The Staple Singers | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: Staple Singers". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 705.
- ^ (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 775–776.
- ^ Sculatti, Gene (28 Sep 1974). "Staple Singers Are Getting Better". The Sacramento Bee. p. A13.