Customer Reviews

The 25th Day Of December

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The Staple singers burst into the popular conscience with their striking soul-gospel hits for Stax in the 1970s; but the quartet had been singing together in church since the early '50s, and recorded for United and Vee-Jay later in that decade. In the early '60s they moved to the Riverside label, best known for its jazz and folk releases, and stayed until the label folded in 1964. Their second effort for Riverside, 1962's "The 25th Day of December," perfectly combines the Staples' gospel singing with the Christian gospel itself.

Many of the songs here are taken at solemn and mournful tempos, but even in 1962 the Staples brought a funky southern soul to their work. The call-and-response of "The Last Month of the Year" is a perfect opener, with Pops and his children spread between the speakers in true stereo, and Al Duncan's drums providing a light shuffle. Mavis Staple anticipates Aretha Franklin's church-bred soul vocalizing on "The Virgin Mary Had One Son," and the bluesy "Holy Unto the Lord" crosses funky southern roots with early '60s R&B. The album brightens with Maceo Woods' sprightly organ on "Joy to the World" and the lyrical gladness of "Wasn't That a Mighty Day." The closing "Silent Night," drenched in reverb, organ and harmonies is a fitting closer.

This first-ever reissue features the classic Staple quartet (Pops, Mavis, Yvonne and Pervis) in a wonderfully present recording, with the group's powerhouse vocals, accompanied by guitar, organ and drums. Excepting a few moments where the guitar or organ steps forward, the instruments are sparse and serve primarily as cues for the voices. The live sound is a perfect frame for a song list that's built more as a soundtrack to a revival meeting than a collection of Christmas songs plucked from the popular canon. You could equally well sample this disc in your 5-disc CD rotisserie as let it play from beginning to end. This is a real holiday treat! [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]

The 25th Day of December came after Christmas. I decided to listen to it to see if I was going to want to play it this December. It was so good that I played at all day. I know it will be a Christmas favorite. It's a different kind of Christmas album; it is deep, smoky, haunting, lyrical - just beautiful.

Just wanted to put in my two cents that this collection of music is tremendous and beautiful.

First of all, this is not Christmas music. It's church music. Which is fine, if that's what you're looking for. Even the traditional Christmas songs on the album are sung gospel style. It's also not exactly what you're looking for if you expect a Staples Singers album. The Staple Quartet features too much Pops (who sings the worst version of Joy to the World I've ever heard) and not enough Mavis. The sound/recording quality also sounds more like the album was done in a church, not a studio.

This may be your kind of album. Just be sure you know what you're getting.