The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi

A remastered version of a Blind Boys album that was originally released in 1979 on Paula Records, an imprint of Stan Lewis' Jewel Records, The Tide of Life illustrates nicely how close hard Southern gospel is to secular soul, with tracks like "Please Remember Me" echoing a Stax Records feel and cuts like "Oh Well What Can You Do" and "Thank the Lord I'm Singing Again" coming within a whisper of Motown. This is not the vintage version of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi from the 1950s -- the one that was led by the great Archie Brownlee when the group recorded for Don Robey's Peacock Records -- but this configuration still does an admirable job on Tide of Life, which is arguably the group's finest post-Brownlee recording. The title track is a gem. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide