Description
Electric Gospel is the third album by the American garage-rock band The Joyful Noise, independently released on Noise Records in 1976. The album was recorded and mixed by Bill Vermillion at Bee Jay Recording Studios in Orlando, Florida; with the band producing.
Mega-cool rockabilly meets psychedelic (psychabilly?) monster here, the third custom LP from these unknown but talented Florida guys who have a refreshing sound all their own. Lead singer and guitarist Ralph Strait definitely overdoses on the effects pedals every chance he gets, one moment plunking out nimble-fingered twangy wah-wah riffs ala «Tennessee Birdwalk», the next shifting into distorted fuzz jamming mode. Put that all on top of the edgy electric rhythm guitar, add bass and drums, and you’ve got one pretty darn cool record. Three of the twelve songs are ballads and even they get plastered with the groovy effects (one is a cover of «Bridge Over Troubled Water», another a spoken-word-over-music gospel presentation from evangelist Jim Whitaker). Most of the songs, however, are up-tempo tunes backed with a tight boogie beat or rock-around-the-clock kind of rhythm, examples being the psychy title track, «Window In The Sky», «Heaven Bound» (with train sound effects) and the fuzz-endowed «Jesus Band». Barry McGuire’s «The Father’s Son» is performed in straight rockabilly/r&r fashion while «Joy» strikes up a groove reminiscent of CCR’s «Suzie Q». Love that ‘Peter Gunn’-ish walking bass on «We Sho’ Need A Lot More Jesus». High voltage indeed. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Electric Gospel” – 3:25
A2. “Children Of Promise” – 2:00
A3. “Free At Last” – 3:20
A4. “Heaven Bound” – 2:10
A5. “Jim Again” – 3:05
A6. “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” – 4:45
Side Two
B1. “Joy” – 2:35
B2. “We Sho’ Need A Lot More Jesus” – 3:05
B3. “The Father’s Son” – 3:00
B4. “Window In The Sky” – 2:40
B5. “Reach Out” – 3:35
B6. “Jesus Band” – 3:35
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