Rastlin Jacob: The Music of the Spiritual Baptist

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 10, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder Select
• ASIN: B00009L4V6
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #682,303 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rustlin' Jacob

2. Glory When The Mornin' Come

3. We Shall Wear A Crown

4. Me Teacher Help Me

5. Seeing Dem Lordy (Stain Dem Bloody)

6. Hear The Voice Of Jesus

7. O, Fallen Believers

8. Brother Come To Help You

9. Songs Of Praise The Angels Sing

10. A Few More Years Shall Roll (Oh, My Lord Prepare)

11. Solomon Nathan

12. Where Are You Then (Where Are You Been)

13. Happy Land

14. We All Goin' Home

15. Galilee (My Soul Has Found Abiding Rest)

16. We Go Fly To Glory

17. Buy You Own Land

18. Precious Gift For Me (Rock Of Ages)

19. Press On Your Way, You Weary Soul

20. A Little More Oil In Your Lamp

See all 32 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Religious fervor in pre-WWII Trinidad, July 12, 2003

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rastlin Jacob: The Music of the Spiritual Baptist (Audio CD)

Fascinating field recordings made in 1939 by the husband-wife folklorist team of Melville and Frances Herskovitz, who also preserved dozens of secular Trinidadian songs at the same time. This disc documents the music of the "shouter" sect of Trinidadian Baptists, whose ceremonies had actually been outlawed by the colonial authorities in 1917, on grounds of alleged "indecency." They certainly were wild: the uninhibited exclamations, hoots and shouts of sect members come through unnervingly loud and clear in these old recordings, helping make this some of the most unusual and distinctive music you're likely to ever hear. Admittedly, these recordings are not very accessible to the average listener, but fans of archival folklore will find this album a wellspring of pre-pop culture recordings, music that clearly has its own history and unique cultural roots. The thick dialect and idiosyncratic rhythms somewhat mask the British origins and religious nature of many of these songs; in many cases, only after a refrain has been repeated dozens of times will the words become clear: "Onward Christian Soldiers," "When The Saints Come Marching In" and "By And By" never sounded like this before! Very unusual and striking -- maybe not the kind of thing to put on when you have company over for dinner, but for those fascinated by how radically music can change from culture to culture, this disc is amazing.