Library Rock's Backpages

Shirley Caesar: Thanksgiving Gospel Caravan, Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles CA

Bill Bentley, L.A. Weekly, 16 December 1982

GOSPEL MUSIC, that great conveyer of soul that expresses every emotion as a joyous affirmation, has come to my rescue. Many's the time I've yearned to feel again the power of the great soul shows of the '60s — something of the shiver that Otis Redding's relentless charge sent through me, or of the pandemonium engendered by a James Brown knee-drop — and in many ways, the purity and power of gospel are all that's left for true believers. I've been Gapped, Zapped and Flashed from here to hell and back, and none among them could even shine Soul Brother #1's shoes, much less hold his cape.

Total word count of piece: 484

Subscribe

Becoming a member is easy. Membership gives you access to all the thousands of articles in the library.

Click here to go to Subscribe page.

Click here for academic and other group subscriptions.