Description
Under Their Influence, sub-titled Volume 1, is the fifth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Russ Taff, released on Myrrh Records in 1991, a division of Word. Also manufactured and distributed by Epic, a division of Sony Music. The album was recorded and mixed by James Hollihan, Jr. at Interociter Studio in Nashville, Tennessee; with Hollihan and Russ Taff producing.
Trivia: Among the vintage album sleeves featured in the CD cover artwork is an album by The Johnson Sisters, a group featuring Russ Taff’s mother.
RUSS TAFF – Under The Influence – Myrrh
Russ Taff reflects back to his childhood years of listening to the likes of black gospel giants such as Mahalia Jackson, who was one of the inspirational forces behind this release. Taff unleashes his soulful chops here, bringing new life to such standards as «Search Me Lord», «Were You There», «As An Eagle Stirreth Her Nest» and «Ain’t No Grave», among others. This effort should become a classic. [CashBox, July 27, 1991 (Gospel Section)]
Ever since Russ Taff slid a bit of «Steal Away», a traditional, acoustic slide guitar-based gospel blues, on his self-titled manifesto, there has been a considerable inquiry into just when contemporary Christian music’s premier male vocalist would get around to a complete project of material in that long-lost, but not forgotten genre. Another snippet, «Ain’t No Grave» (reproduced here in its glorious entirety), further stirred interest in a serious gospel blues project, when it appeared on last year’s ‘The Way Home‘. It has long been suspected that the team of Taff and friend, ace guitarist and all around co-conspirator James Hollihan, Jr. had a great blues album in them, and ‘Under Their Influence’ reveals the depth of the duo’s commitment and integrity.
Especially on tracks like «God’s Unchanging Hand» and «Were You There», where the listener is face to face with Hollihan’s fine emotional guitar playing and Taff’s majestic vocals, respectively, ‘Under Their Influence’ shines with the kind of “soulful legacy” that brought Taff to dedicate the disc to his mom and her singing group The Johnson Sisters. While more info could be offered about these blasts from the past, it’s clear that Taff finds it a rewarding journey back to the earliest music influence in his life.
The album, with its desire to get back to roots and affirm that early connection between the gospel message and the blues-rooted music that bread rock ‘n’ roll, can’t help but recall the recent Kaiser/Mansfield effort, ‘Trimmed and Burnin’‘, which mined the work of early greats Blind Willy Johnson and Rev. Gary Davis along with originals that fit that black gospel/journeyman’s blues genre to a tee. On the whole, the Kaiser/Mansfield disc did authentic service to the music’s original context, but Taff and Hollihan are more willing to walk a fine line between the music’s origins and the place they currently find themselves. The duo manages to reclaim some of these early country/blues classics from obscurity, even if arrangements tend toward more of a quasi-blues, pop listener, and little insight is offered about the original composers.
The record soars in and soars out on ripping versions of «God Don’t Never Change» and «Ain’t No Grave», but finds its true momentum on the only original, «Just Believe», an early Taff/Hollihan/Tori Taff song that appeared on ‘Walls of Glass‘, offering Hollihan the opportunity to delve down into some gritty, soulful blues twang and Taff’s vocals to find their center someplace nearer to the heart than merely reproducing the melody.
In Taff’s own songwriting on the last few releases there has been a shift away from merely parroting Christian dogma in some kind of a Hallmark-like rhyme. His songs with Hollihan and bride Tori, and his covers of The Call’s «I Still Believe», Charlie Peacock’s «Down in the Lowlands» and Michael Anderson’s «I Need You», have sought to move Taff beyond the more obvious praise and worship style (that represents a good deal of his work with The Imperials), to a music that rose more directly from his personal experience of the Gospel message.
Here, by going back as much to his theological roots as those musical, Taff is speaking a language that many contemporary Christian music fans can embrace, but doing it in a way that is not an artistic concession to commercial realities. These songs spring from a deep place for Taff, and it comes through in the integrity of his delivery. His heartfelt rendering together with Hollihan’s truly engaging support, make ‘Under Their Influence’ a success by its own high standards. While one might question whether the pop audience is ready for this kind of gospel blues retrospective, it’s clear to me that Taff’s true fans, who love not only his voice and persona, but the heart at the soul of his music will come along for the ride on «Life’s Railway to Heaven». Everybody, get on board. [Brian Q. Newcomb, CCM, April 1991]
As I listen to ‘Under Their Influence’, the new album from Russ Taff, I’m struck by two thoughts: 1) How impressed I am that Taff, who has quite a bit to lose in the Christian music industry, isn’t afraid to take commercial risks and stretch as an artist; 2) How surprised I am that so many different styles of music could have so much in common.
I’ll try to explain. ‘Under Their Influence’ is a musical tribute to old style Gospel music, of sorts, with a collection of old country hymns. However, the album covers elements of blues, old time Gospel, country, country/rock and full-blown rock ‘n’ roll so successfully that the album should appeal to a lot of different people, without losing anyone. It’s not a hodge-podge, but a smorgasbord.
Taff has been pulling surprises out of his hat for a few years now, starting with the wonderfully bracing ‘Russ Taff‘, a huge-sounding pop/rock album with fabulous covers of songs by Charlie Peacock and The Call. It was a risk, but it paid off.
Rather than recycling himself, Taff then presented us with ‘The Way Home‘, a roots/rock album with some country influences. Another risk, but it paid off.
‘Under Their Influence’ may be the biggest risk yet, expanding on the short clips of old time Gospel found on the last two albums («Steal Away» and «Ain’t No Grave»). However, Taff and accomplice James Hollihan, Jr. (a team that’s worked together at least since Taffs 1983 solo debut, ‘Walls of Glass‘) have assembled an album that may be the most artistically satisfying yet. As I said, there are a number of styles represented: Pick any three songs alone and you might get the completely wrong impression. However, the different styles are done so faithfully, and mixed together so smartly, that I even liked the parts I wouldn’t have expected to. Neat trick.
Standouts include the bluesy «Search Me Lord», the surprising country/rock/blues remake of «Just Believe» from ‘Walls of Glass’, and the full-blown rock ‘n’ roll of «Ain’t No Grave» to round the collection out.
Musically, most of the chores are shared by Taff and Hollihan (big, rich sound for only two guys), with guests, including Greg and Rebecca Sparks, who sparkled so brightly on a recent tour with Taff (and an album of their own).
‘Under Their Influence’ isn’t just an admirable project, but a fun one as well. Russ Taff is certainly one of the vanguard artists for quality Christian music, risking his certain popularity to try some new things. I know he’ll be rewarded for it; I just hope he’s rewarded in this life, too. [Chris Well, Harvest Rock Syndicate, Issue 2, 1991 (Volume 6)]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/under-their-influence/1100230540)
CD tracklist:
01. God Don’t Never Change – 4:28
02. Search Me Lord – 4:38
03. God’s Unchanging Hand – 4:11
04. Life’s Railway To Heaven – 4:19
05. Were You There – 3:05
06. As An Eagle Stirreth Her Nest – 4:21
07. Just Believe – 4:47
08. Everybody, Shoulda, Really Oughtta – 2:52
09. There’s A Hand – 3:43
10. Ain’t No Grave – 6:26
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Myrrh Records.
A double-page advertisement for Russ Taff’s Under Their Influence was featured in the April 1991 issue of CCM Magazine.
“Life’s Railway to Heaven” (MUSIC VIDEO)
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