"This Time Around" by THE STAPLE SINGERS Featuring Mavis Staples – A Review Of Their 1981 American Compilation On Stax Records - Now Reissued For The First Time On CD By Ace Records Of The UK In 2013…

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"...Trippin' On Your Love..." 

Released Stateside in April 1981 on Stax Records MPS-8511 while The Staples Singers were briefly signed to 20th Century and Produced by the legendary Al Bell – this notorious 8-track vinyl LP is actually a compilation of old recordings from the 1970s reworked and reissued without the band's approval (or even knowledge) – put out at a budget price and promptly forgotten. But amongst its embellishments are absolute barnstormers – namely the near fanatical Northern Soul and Club following given to the song "Trippin' On Your Love" in the UK.

This is the first CD reissue and remaster of the "This Time Around" album ever (July 2013 release date) and Ace Records CDSXE 139 (Barcode 029667055321) is a typically brill reissue of a criminally forgotten record (33:23 minutes):

1. Live In Love [Side 1]

2. This Time Around

3. Trippin' On Your Love

4. A Child's Life

5. I Got To Be Myself [Side 2]

6. People Come Out Of Your Shell

7. When It Rains It Pours

8. If It Wasn't For A Woman

The remaster is by NICK ROBBINS at London's Sound Mastering and the 8-page booklet contains detailed liner notes by long-time Soul Fan and Ace Associate – TONY ROUNCE.

It starts out badly in my book – the "Live In Love" track probably dates from as early as 1969 or 1970 – so the instrumentation over it sounds up to date while the vocal sounds way too distant and demo-ish. "This Time Around" slows it down with a "...won't let my man down..." lyric. It is pretty once it gets going, but again the instrumentation still feels tagged on. But things go stratospheric with "Trippin' On Your Love" which is just gorgeous.

"A Child's Life" is sweet but far better is the Side 2 opener "I Got To Be Myself" – muted at one point to be 7" single (Stax 0255) - but it legendarily never got released (not even a promo has been found). Recorded around 1975 – "I Got To Be Myself" is a proper Staples winner. And it's followed by 3 superb tracks especially "When It Pours It Rains" and "If It Wasn't For A Woman" which contains stunning Mavis vocals ("...a house would never have been a home…if it wasn't for a woman…") and sympathetic arrangements.

So there you have it. In a ragbag like this, five out of eight tracks is not a bad tally in my book and when it comes to The Staples Singers, I gotta have it. And its relatively cheap too...

PS:

See also my reviews for the Staple Singers albums "We'll Get Over" (1969) and "Be Altitude: Respect Yourself" (1972) alongside CD compilations "The Ultimate Staple Singers" (2004), "Faith & Grace: A Family Journey 1956-1976" (2015) and "For What It's Worth: The Complete Epic Recordings 1964-1968" (2018)