Published on Apr 1, 2001
Although I do not go out of my way to listen to gospel music
(and I am admittedly not a fan of contemporary Christian music), I
do occasionally find a gospel-oriented disc crossing my desk here
at the Pierce Memorial Archives. What I often find is that such
discs surprise me in ways I didn’t expect.
Take The Holmes Brothers, for example. This trio puts out a
wonderful noise that one might not believe is coming from such a
small group – and on a label noted for blues music, no less!
Speaking In Tongues is the kind of disc that reminds me just
what this style of music should be: a celebration that doesn’t get
too preachy.
Oh, sure, there’s going to be a lot of singing about Jesus and
of God throughout many of this album’s 13 tracks. But there is
something so organic in the delivery and performances of
vocalist/guitarist Wendell Holmes, vocalist/bassist Sherman Holmes
and vocalist/drummer Willie “Popsy” Dixon that literally pulls the
listener in, hands them a tambourine, and encourages them to get up
and, if nothing else, just revel in the music.
And what joyful music it is! Whether you’re listening to their
spins on material from other artists (Ben Harper’s “Homeless
Child,” Bob Dylan’s “Man Of Peace,” Sister Rosetta Thorpe’s “Can’t
No Grave Hold My Body Down”) or the retro-power of one of their
originals (“Speaking In Tongues,” “Jesus Got His Hooks In Me”),
it’s hard not to be infected by the happiness of these tracks. You
don’t necessarily have to be religious to appreciate these songs;
if anything, just the “joyful noise” says more than any sermon
could. Put it this way: what I hate most about CCM music is being
hit over the head with a religious message. The Holmes Brothers
strike a nice balance between the underlying religious theme and
the captiveness of the music.
All of this said, there is one minor slip on
Speaking In Tongues. The Holmes Brothers do an admirable job
on their cover of The O’Jays’s “Love Train,” except it’s performed
with too plodding of a beat. It’s strange that they would choose to
tone down their delivery on a song which all but begs for a faster
tempo.
I might not go out of my way to listen to gospel, but even after
one listen to
Speaking In Tongues, The Holmes Brothers had guaranteed
themselves a prime place in the Archives, amidst the CDs I often go
back to for one reason or another. If you ever wondered what it was
about gospel music that made people want to get up and dance,
Speaking In Tongues will answer that – and don’t be
surprised to see yourself cutting the rug while this disc
plays.