Music Review: Pops Staples, Don't Lose This

Pop Staples

Based on Pops Staples' approach the dividing line between gospel and blues is wafer thin. This is an exceptionally good record, a labour of love, in a way, as daughter Mavis Staples honours a promise she made to her Dad. The album title comes from Pops bestowing on Mavis unreleased material and, thanks to her dedication and production assistance from Jeff and Spencer Tweedy, her promise has been fulfilled.

With and without his daughters, the renowned Staples Singers, Pops shows what a talent he was, on a number of fronts. His guitar work is on the sparse side but inventive and inspiring. Vocally, he's unique, too -- almost laidback but earthy and compelling. And then there's his songwriting skills, which lay the foundation for a clutch of songs of the highest order. Sure he steals the odd line from the Gospel and Blues songbook but mostly the tracks are rich in his own style.

On Nobody's Fault But Mine, he takes the familiar standard in a whole different direction lyrically, while maintaining the melody.

Hard-to-pick favourites but Don't Lose This but Friendship, Gotta Serve Somebody, Somebody was Watching and the superb version of Nobody's Fault But Mine stand out from the 10 songs that are all testament to Pops Staples unique place in American music of the past 50 years.