Customer Reviews

We'll Get Over

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"We'll Get Over" was the 2nd album for the Staples on Stax Records in 1969 in the UK (1968 USA). It was also moving ever closer to the soul/religious/commentary masterworks they were to later produce; "Staple Swingers", "Be Altitude: Respect Yourself", "Be What You Are" and "City In The Sky". This remaster actually dates from 1994 (re-issued a few times) and is housed in a digipak replica of the album sleeve. The sound is punchy and live, if not a little too hissy in places. The Staples are supplemented by Steve Cropper on guitar, Marvell Thomas on keyboards, Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass and Al Jackson Jr on drums - most of Booker T. & The MG's. Steve Copper also produced.

The track list breakdown is as follows:

1. We'll Get Over (written by Homer Banks, Bettye Crutcher and Raymond Jackson - Stax song team often referred to as "We Three")

2. Give A Damn (a Spanky & Our Gang cover version)

3. Everyday People (A Sly & The Family Stone cover version)

4. Tend To Your Own Business (the only track on the album by the Staples themselves)

5. Solon Bushi (a Traditional Japanese Folk song cover version)

6. Challenge (as per track 1)

7. God Bless The Child (Billie Holiday cover version)

8. Games People Play (a Joe South cover version)

9. A Wednesday In Your Garden (a Guess Who cover version, written by Randy Bachman later of Bachman Turner Overdrive)

10. The Gardener (as per track 1)

11. When Will We Be Paid (For The Work We've Done) (written by Stewart and Randall)

12. Brand New Day (written by Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat & Tears for the United Artists movie "The Landlord", Stax 7" single 0074, 1970)

13. Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas (Parker and Deanie cover) (Stax 7" single 0084, 1970)

Tracks 12 and 13 are bonus tracks

As you can see, the album is top heavy with cover versions, but don't let that put you off - it's still got that magical Staples sound - and the songs chosen convey their constant message of positivity and love.

A great album - their entire Stax catalogue is fab frankly - and for me - never dates. Investigate & enjoy.

A truly wonderful title by The Staple Singers, "We'll Get Over", their 2nd album with the Stax record label contains a wide variety of songs that are easy to listen to and like. The title song is wonderful, with a nice mellow sound. Give a Damn is nice, with the brass instruments and nice lyric. Tend to Your Own Business is great as well, with Pops stating that everybody needs to mind their own business and worry about nothing more than their own issues and situations in life. Brand New Day is a nice track (one of the bonus tracks on this CD), containing a funky and almost rock like sound to it, with a little bit of loudness for the instrumentation, as well. Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas is pretty comical, not quite one that you would play over the holidays (or maybe it is, if you want to add humor to the holidays). God Bless the Children is a very soft and quiet track to listen to. This is a great CD; get it if you don't yet have it.

With the musical triumph of Soul Folk in Action the Staples decided to go for a somewhat different musical approch on their second Stax album. The overall sound and the band haven't changed too much,except for the addition of Marvell Thomas (son of Rufus) on keyboards but aside from featuring an album composed of primarily original material here the Staple's excersise their gifts as interpretive singers,largely concentrating on cover material done up in their new style. Some are done pretty close to their own style while others have flavors more in keeping with the sound of the originals. The two originals in the title track and the self written "Tend To Your Own Business" are classic Memphis style soul-funk as bright,energetic and meaningful as the Staples would ever put to wax. The cover material here does tend to follow the contemporary message song concept that the group were making something of their stock and trade all on their own. Their cover of "Give A Damn" has an assertive vocal and lyric yes but the Spanky & Our Gang song actually emulates that groups breezy,heavily arranged pop soung albeit with some elements of the Stax sound in the mix as wll. "The Challange" and "Games People Play" both had a style fairly well suited to the Staples Stax era sound as they were and were excellent song choices as such and both again are adapted to fit into the early 70's era Stax funk/soul/rock sound pretty well. One of the most unique songs here is "Solon Bushi",a very unique and as far as I know until this point untried attempt to fuse the sound of Memphis soul/funk with traditional Japanese folk and is in fact sung in the original language. The excited harmonies of Mavis and Cleotha in this song are strong and powerful and they show great respect to the traditional arrangement and it's very much in keeping with the Staples vision of human unity and self respect. Sly's "Everyday People" takes some of the San Fransisco rock flavors of the originals and plays up the R&B influence of the song a bit more. Both versions are equally as funky,by the way. Of the two bonus cuts you have the jubilant,uptempo soul of "Brand New Day",featured in the soundtrack to the film The Landlord and the equally celebratory holiday themed single "Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas" which is kind of a comically witty play on words. Somewhat overlooked in light of the handfull of classic Staple Singers albums on Stax,especially in light of brother Pervis's decision to leave the group after this album to concentrate on more business aspects of music this album still remains an important musical step in their evolving sound and pointed the way for what was to come.

Only wanted one song on this CD..."The Challenge", which came out in the early 70's. Though the music is not quite as dynamic as it is now in songs, the words still resound with the confinds of one's heart. Everyone should take this Challenge, I have.

I have always been a Staples Singers fan,this release has all the powerful vocals(even Pops get's involved as a lead singer)The protest song of compassion "when will we be paid" is classic Staples.The rest of the album is soul&motion. A marvelous addition to their STAX catalog.

Had the vinyl LP of this back in the 7ties but gave it away when migrating to the US. Looked for it on CD in the early 9ties but could not find it.

Recently decided to put all my favorite songs dating back to the 6ties on a MP3 player and realized that one of my all time favorite songs, "The Gardener", was missing. Even though I still had it on cassette, thought it was time to search for the CD again or a MP3 download.

The CD arrived today and I'm glad I couldn't find a MP3 download of "The Gardener" because there were so many other songs I had liked but had forgotten. With its beautiful lyrics and silky smooth harmonizing, it's still my hands down favorite but other songs like "A Wednesday in Your Garden" and "The Challenge" bring back fond memories.

This is one heck of a CD by a group that I feel deserved much more recognition than they received.