Stax Records Week (pt 9)
Force of Nature:
"Stax Profiles" - Rance Allen
You've been reading Stax week. You've learned about Booker T. & The M.G.'s, and a bunch of monolithic icons you've probably never heard of. It's fascinating stuff, but admittedly a lot of information to absorb. Rance Allen is yet another monolith. He's important! He shattered boundaries! Why should you maintain interest?
Because Rance Allen sings disco gospel. Music does not come any more awesome than that.
Allen's backing groups play that wonderful '70s soul sound, halfway between disco and Motown. They attack most variations of the style, veering from the disco end to the funky end to proto-slow jams to many things in between. The rhythm section is consistently flawless, as is the rule with Stax. You can spend hours marveling over each hi-hat pattern or bass doodle, if that's how you listen to music (as I often do). Or you can just as easily lose yourself in the thick, deep grooves.
But Rance doesn't quite fit the equation. He's a gospel singer, which is a very different thing from a '70s soul singer. His roots run deep: he sang gospel with the Rance Allen Group for many years before this compilation picks up, and that band was responsible for first introducing gospel to rock and jazz. As a church man, Allen doesn't focus on hooks the way you initially expect him to. Instead he melismas like his name was Kelly Clarkson.
If that combined with '70s soul seems like a recipe for disaster, it's only because you haven't heard Rance Allen yet. His voice is a force of nature. On every vocal acrobatic, it's as if he were so overcome that a normal hook simply would not have been sufficient. He effortlessly leaps across several octaves without ever sounding contrived. For a singer with such dexterity, his power is also stunning. Allen's commanding presence is even more impressive than his graceful riffs. He dominates the midrange with a ferocity that could be frightening, if it weren't brimming with joy.
And really, why not have a great gospel frontman lead a disco-inflected soul band? It seems like such an oxymoron on paper. That type of music is often characterized by a rather emotionless sheen, which can suck the life right out of a passionate singer. The Stax rhythm sections never let that happen, delivering the thumping, lively beats without the suffocating anonymity. It turns out to be a perfect fit. The Stax Profile of Rance Allen features song after song of gleeful singing, while the band invites you to share Allen's joy in the best possible way: by dancing.
In celebration of the recently-released Stax Profiles series, the Modern Pea Pod is hosting Stax Records Week. Watch this page in the coming days for reviews of Otis Redding's disc, and watch Slashed Seat Affairs for a look back at the classic 1973 Wattstax feature film!
Written by David Koenig
Official Site
Buy Stax Profiles: Rance Allen
on Amazon
See Also: Gospel Disco!!
"Stax Profiles" - Rance Allen
You've been reading Stax week. You've learned about Booker T. & The M.G.'s, and a bunch of monolithic icons you've probably never heard of. It's fascinating stuff, but admittedly a lot of information to absorb. Rance Allen is yet another monolith. He's important! He shattered boundaries! Why should you maintain interest?Because Rance Allen sings disco gospel. Music does not come any more awesome than that.
Allen's backing groups play that wonderful '70s soul sound, halfway between disco and Motown. They attack most variations of the style, veering from the disco end to the funky end to proto-slow jams to many things in between. The rhythm section is consistently flawless, as is the rule with Stax. You can spend hours marveling over each hi-hat pattern or bass doodle, if that's how you listen to music (as I often do). Or you can just as easily lose yourself in the thick, deep grooves.
But Rance doesn't quite fit the equation. He's a gospel singer, which is a very different thing from a '70s soul singer. His roots run deep: he sang gospel with the Rance Allen Group for many years before this compilation picks up, and that band was responsible for first introducing gospel to rock and jazz. As a church man, Allen doesn't focus on hooks the way you initially expect him to. Instead he melismas like his name was Kelly Clarkson.
If that combined with '70s soul seems like a recipe for disaster, it's only because you haven't heard Rance Allen yet. His voice is a force of nature. On every vocal acrobatic, it's as if he were so overcome that a normal hook simply would not have been sufficient. He effortlessly leaps across several octaves without ever sounding contrived. For a singer with such dexterity, his power is also stunning. Allen's commanding presence is even more impressive than his graceful riffs. He dominates the midrange with a ferocity that could be frightening, if it weren't brimming with joy.
And really, why not have a great gospel frontman lead a disco-inflected soul band? It seems like such an oxymoron on paper. That type of music is often characterized by a rather emotionless sheen, which can suck the life right out of a passionate singer. The Stax rhythm sections never let that happen, delivering the thumping, lively beats without the suffocating anonymity. It turns out to be a perfect fit. The Stax Profile of Rance Allen features song after song of gleeful singing, while the band invites you to share Allen's joy in the best possible way: by dancing.In celebration of the recently-released Stax Profiles series, the Modern Pea Pod is hosting Stax Records Week. Watch this page in the coming days for reviews of Otis Redding's disc, and watch Slashed Seat Affairs for a look back at the classic 1973 Wattstax feature film!
Written by David Koenig
Official Site
Buy Stax Profiles: Rance Allen
on AmazonSee Also: Gospel Disco!!
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