Mavis Staples: We'll Never Turn Back

Label: Anti
Sound/Style: Tradition-honoring update of blues, classic soul and gospel

By Steve Morley

UMC.org—As part of The Staple Singers, Mavis Staples lent her gospel-derived voice to early ‘70s hits like "I’ll Take You There." The song looked squarely at racism through the lens of faith and the promise of Heaven, where there’d be "no more smiling faces lying to the races." This heady hybrid of social and spiritual themes was something The Staple Singers had been refining for years through their role in the American civil rights movement. The campaign led to the adoption of numerous songs, known as "freedom songs," that cried out against oppression as much as they cried out to God for the strength to fight it. Staples not only revisits this era on her latest disc, We’ll Never Turn Back, but also re-ignites its message through first-person recollections and poignant observations about present-day injustice in America.

The disc is mostly comprised of songs associated with civil rights during the 1960s. The power of many of these, both then and now, lies in the way they address both temporal and otherworldly concerns. Staples carries this twin thread throughout the record, allowing her overt Christian faith to mingle freely with more topical material. With its built-in New Testament references, "Eyes on the Prize" does this naturally, though the rumbling intensity of her and producer Ry Cooder’s arrangement also speaks to the anger and pain caused by social inequity. ("Paul and Silas began to shout/ Doors popped open and all walked out/ Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.")

The emotional shadings on the disc range from somber and dark to hopeful and resolute, painting a well-rounded picture of the struggle for racial equality. In contrast to "Eyes on the Prize," "We Shall Not Be Moved" has a gentle but firm determination that sums up the non-violent philosophy so vital to the civil rights movement.

"On My Way" sounds more foreboding, attesting to the daunting task of facing ones’ attackers with no intention ofretaliation. Adding resonance to these tracks are vocals by members of the original Freedom Singers, a group formed in 1962 to help raise awareness of non-violent techniques among civil rights activists.

Because Staples herself was on the scene, her presentation of the subject carries a weight of authenticity and authority that sets the collection apart from more typical period tribute albums. In addition, Staples connects the turmoil of the civil rights era with contemporary problems, making it clear that there’s still work to be done. On the newly written "My Own Eyes," she recounts her family’s association with the Reverend Martin Luther King but also cites the Hurricane Katrina disaster as evidence of continuing social neglect, a theme she expands upon in preacher-like fashion on in "99 and ½ (Just Won’t Do)": "It’s the twenty-first century/ It feels like it’s Nineteen Sixty/ Broken levees/ Lying politicians/ Runnin’ through hatred."

The sometimes lengthy monologues, while they personalize the record, can limit the appeal of repeated listens. But Mavis Staples isn’t about to use her platform to tickle ears when it comes to issues as close to her heart as the ones on We’ll Never Turn Back, a work brimming with potency and purpose.

Audio Clips

"Down in Mississippi"

"Eyes on the Prize"

"We Shall Not Be Moved"

"In the Mississippi River"