Rev. Louis Overstreet With His Sons And The Congregation Of St. Luke's Powerhouse Church Of God In Christ

Rev. Louis Overstreet | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 30, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arhoolie Records
• ASIN: B0000001L1
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #287,804 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Churchin' it Up, February 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Rev. Louis Overstreet With His Sons And The Congregation Of St. Luke's Powerhouse Church Of God In Christ (Audio CD)

I ran into this cd while searching for a recording of "I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord". What I found was a blast from my past! Growing up as a preacher's kid in Virginia/Carolina in a pentecostal/apostolic church, this cd reflects the core of the praise and worship of a true Pentecostal church. The response of the congregation, interaction in singing and lively instrumentation and improvisation is nothing but the holiness church in it's purest and rawest form. While we did dance a lot in during service and dance to this day, the spontaneous shout sessions on this recording clearly reflect an oppressed people that had no place to go and no other outlet than the churchhouse. Though their civil and social lives were bound by Jim Crow laws and racism, their spirits were free and joined to God and that is reflected in the interjections and liveliness of their worship. While this cd may not be a high quality recording, it is high quality pentecostal worship that transcends every thing earthly and reaches the realms of glory itself. I recommend this cd to anyone who has an appreciation for or a desire to learn more about black spirituality, gospel music, jazz, the blues, the early roots of rock and roll and last but not least pentecostalism within the United States. This cd is a jewel to behold and one that should be placed on every gospel music afficianado's list.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Soul Powerhouse, January 20, 2002

By 

nadav haber (jerusalem Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rev. Louis Overstreet With His Sons And The Congregation Of St. Luke's Powerhouse Church Of God In Christ (Audio CD)

This is raw, trance like gospel that is quite different than anything we can hear in today's media. Rev. Overstreet's voice is like a lion's roar, aimed at getting inside the listener's heart and transforming it. The ecstatic rhythms aim at the same thing - getting inside you and moving you. This is no background music - you just cant listen to it while having coffee with friends...
Most of the songs are performed live, starting from the leaders shouted sermon and culminating in a musical ecstasy. There are a few tracks featuring the leader in a more relaxed surrounding, singing and playing the guitar. While he clearly does it well, this is not the high point of the CD.
I have been listening to gospel for many years, yet this CD managed to surprise with its power and drive. I recommend it to gospel fans who want to get to the core of the music, or to others who would appreciate a music that is honest, rough and hard driving.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars streetfront religion, July 11, 2000

By 

J F Heenan (Lawson, N.S.W. Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rev. Louis Overstreet With His Sons And The Congregation Of St. Luke's Powerhouse Church Of God In Christ (Audio CD)

I know of no other recording which captures the spirit of rough gospel music,storefront religion and street gospel music like Rev.Louis Overstreet.This is the real deal.It ain't exactly Hi-Fi,but it is high on excitement.What a gem.My favourite gospel album,Hands down.