Mavis Staples
made an easy transition in the '60s from gospel to soul; she sang with the same fervor and passion, and her work for
Stax
, particularly the sessions produced by
Don Davis
, were concise, powerful examples of secular gospel at its best. The 21 selections found here were actually culled from three albums and spotlight
Staples
doing heartfelt ballads, soaring testimonials, and engaging midtempo and uptempo numbers. Even when she does songs associated with other singers like
"Security,"
"The Choking Kind,"
and
"Son of a Preacher Man,"
finds fresh ways to express lyrics or new twists to lines that make them her own. ~ Ron Wynn