Shirley Caesar (Good God) - Reviews

Shirley Caesar
Good God

On her latest offering, Good God, from Light Records, Shirley Caesar sums up her 40 plus years in Gospel with the lyrics of a Kurt Carr composition "Not Through, Not Yet":

One of these old days, It's gonna be all over/
One of these old days, we're going home/
You see the angel will come to get me/
And take me to glory/
But the angels will have to wait,/
because I'm not through winning souls for Jesus yet/
I still got work to do, I'm not through, not yet

And with that, the Evangelist kicks in high gear, admonishing those that are in line to take her place that they will have to wait a wee bit longer because there's a "fire in my spirit and pep in my step". The song brilliantly revels in its own identity with Pastor Caesar reaching the zenith to emphatically declare, "I know you thought this was the end, but it ain't over yet," and from there, the song goes for another round; and yes every round goes higher and higher.

Excitement was stirred with the news that Kurt Carr would have a hand in producing this project. Carr recreates the magic by pairing Pastor Caesar with the famed Thompson Community Singers (for whom she recorded the smash Live in Chicago LP which produced the chart topping "Hold My Mule"). The song extols the very essence of God and leaves everyone a witness that God is good, all the time.

Pastor Caesar blows the dust off of "Holy Boldness" from her Caravans days. We would have liked to have seen this as a duet with Dorinda Clark

The Tommies Connection

Shirley Caesar also teamed up with the Thompson Community Singers on He's Working It Out For You, this is the 20 year reference that Kurt Carr alludes to on Good God.

Coincidentally, Caesar and The Tommies have had a long recording affiliation; both were on the HOB, Myrrh and Word record labels, concurrently.

Cole (as they are both on Light Records, and the Clark Sisters did a remarkable cover of the song on the special compilation A Salute to the Caravans, released by now defunct CGI Records in 1992).

James Fortune and AyRon Lewis offer a sizable contribution with "God Will Make A Way"; Fortune also pulls on the writing talents of his wife Cheryl Fortune and Lucius Hoskins for "You Stayed".

Caesar's longtime music director Michael Mathis contributes "More and More Like Jesus" and joins Pastor Caesar in writing "Fight the Good Fight". Good God is great music in high definition.

Fans and devotees of Gospel will join in the throng and cry "Hail Caesar" for another great set.

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Production: Kurt Carr album release date: March 26, 2013
Light Records

— review by Gregory Gay —