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 There Will Be A Light  With There Will Be A Light, the boys share top billing with Ben Harper, that popular purveyor of fused folk/roots/soul, on a collaborative project that somehow mines the best of what both artists offer, resulting in a musical compromise of sorts —a sound that pulls the ear of fans of both in its mix of Gospel and inspirational.Harper, along with his band, Innocent Criminals, holds down this musical fort with his unmistakeable presence, while Clarence Fountain, George Scott, Jimmy Carter et al. ground the whole with their gravelly vocals and 'heard-it-all' experience. Most of the album's eleven studio-recorded cuts are Harper originals, in the vein of the classic spiritual but with a contemporary-roots twist. "Take My Hand", the opening track, is heavily dosed in organic, instrumental funk, and seems to take its lyrical inspiration from "Precious Lord". Harper transfers his initial lead over to Fountain's decades-tried grit by the time the song fades into acappella.
On "Well, Well, Well", Harper and the Blind Boys dig into the Bob Dylan classic, imparting their spin on things, as they also do on the other cover included on the album, that country chestnut, "Satisfied Mind". The sole acappella entry is "Mother Pray", a re-arrangement of the traditional song with Harper melting his soulful tenor into the gritty Blind Boys vocal base. The title track is worthy of mention, as much for the intriguing mix of lead vocals (several Blind Boys take turns) as for its simple and appealing melody set over Hammond B3 and guitar. With this merge of old and new, spirituals and funk, Harper and The Blind Boys, it sure wouldn't be a surprise to see There Will Be A Light mopping up at awards time again. 
Email This To A Friend Virgin Records — reviewed by Stan North —
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Re-issued on CD about 22 years after its initial release in 1982 as an LP, The Blind Boys of Alabama's I'm A Soldier In The Army Of the Lord, from Piece International Records, an imprint of the famous R&B powerhouse label, Philadelphia International Records. Yes, production from Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Tony Beck —famous names all —ensured that this project hit all the right classic soul points. Songs such as the title track, "I've Been Born Again" and "Jesus (He's Got What I Need) (aka Only You)" point to the whirling, near-disco feel of the era. But of course, The Blind Boys being who they are, there's always grit in the mix. Also included on this CD are 6 previously unreleased tracks. Plenty to dig into!!