If you enjoy uplifting sing-along family spiritual songs with crystal-clear vocal harmonies and a swirling synth-organ, this gospel album definitely is not for you. Go Devil Go represents precisely the other side of the coin. The material collected here shows the most savage and visceral side of vintage gospel music. In this God forsaken disc the hymnals range from hypnotic mid-tempo primitive rural blues to chaotic, raw R and B workouts. Guitars and furious hand claps accompany singers who do not speak of this world and are pushing hard to get to the other side. But fear not, the lyrics, messages and screams on this LP call out to the bottom feeders, backsliders and miscreants to redeem ourselves from the wages of sin and the inferno that waits for us down below.
Go Devil Go is our own selection from the glorious 3 CD set "Fire In My Bones" compiled by Mike McGonigal in 2009. Most of the recordings included here were published in 45's or 78's for less known independent companies, some by tiny local labels and sometimes paid by the church congregation itself.
As McGonigal explains in the liner notes: "This is Gospel - which we must always remember translates as 'the good news' (...) I find it to be among the most vibrant, playful, beautiful and emotionally charged music in the world". Amen.
Tracks: I'm A Soldier - The Phillips' Specials / You Ought to Been There - The B.C. Harmonizers / I’m Just A Voice - Helen McGiver and the McGiver Singers / Made A Vow To The Lord - Rev. Steward & Family / Don’t Let Him Ride - Mississippi Nightingales / This Train - Elder S. Patterson & The Christian Crusaders / Holy Rock - Reverend Billy H. Grady/ Go Devil Go - Madam Ira Mae Littlejohn / The Wicked Shall Cease - Nathaniel Rivers / He’s Coming Back - Elder & Sister Brinson & the Brinson Brothers / Get Back Satan - Rev. Roger L Worthy & His Sister Bonnie Woodstock / God's Mighty Hand - Rev. Utah Smith / You Better Get Ready - The Bible Aires Spiritual Singers (Belle Aires) / So Soon - Little Ax & The Golden Echoes
