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Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
Souls' Chapel
(Universal South)
Marty Stuart
Badlands: Ballads of the Lakota
(Universal South)
First Appeared in The Music Box, December 2005, Volume 12, #12
Written by T.J. Simon
Over the course of the past few months, music veteran Marty Stuart has
released two distinctly different albums: Souls’ Chapel, with its healthy
dose of harmony, is an old-time country gospel outing, and Badlands: Ballads
of the Lakota is a serious concept effort that celebrates the history and culture of the Lakota
Native American tribe. Both discs showcase Stuart’s tremendous versatility as an
artist and help to explain his longevity in an industry that, more often than
not, favors youth and superficiality over depth and raw talent.
Souls’ Chapel is the stronger of the two albums, and throughout the
highly enjoyable effort, Stuart whips classic country, blues, soul, and gospel
into a frothy, Jesus-centric mix. His supporting band ("His Fabulous
Superlatives") carries a lot of the weight on the beautiful harmonies of I
Can’t Even Walk (Without You Holding My Hand) and Come into the House of
the Lord. Stuart cites The Staple Singers as an influence, and he covers a
pair of its heartfelt numbers Somebody Saved Me and Move Along Train.
The best track, however, is the ultra-catchy original Way Down, a number
with an energy so infectious that one can imagine Hasidic Jews and Islamic
clerics being moved to stand up and testify.
For the creation of Badlands: Ballads of the Lakota, Stuart and producer John Carter Cash
spent time living among the Lakota Tribe while touring sacred sites and places
of the community’s many tragedies. Stuart’s considerable empathy won him an
adoption by the tribe, which granted him the name "O Yate O Chee Ya’Ka Hospita"
or "Old Guy With Blow-Dried Hair." (Ok, it’s actually "The Man Who Helps the
People"). Musically, the disc is an uneven affair with captivating numbers such
as Broken Promise Land and Casino standing alongside dull tunes
that nevertheless house compelling stories (Trip to Little Big Horn and
Wounded Knee). Stuart’s criticisms of the American public policy toward
Native Americans is valid, but it’s not until he closes his mouth and lets the
instruments speak on the brilliant instrumental Hotchkiss Gunner’s Lament
that the message is received.
In short, fans of American country-gospel music peppered with a liberal dose
of blues and soul will be enamored with Souls’ Chapel, and those with a
particular interest in the history and mythology of the Lakota Tribe will
certainly find something to like about Badlands: Ballads of the Lakota. In any case, everyone
should be able to agree that the fact that Stuart released two such wildly
different and ambitious albums in the same year is nothing short of remarkable.
Souls’ Chapel - 
Badlands - ½
Souls' Chapel is available from Amazon.
To order, Click Here!
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Badlands is available from Amazon.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005
The Music Box
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