Rating:
Genre:
Gospel
Release Date: 06/08/2004
I'll Fly Away is the first of two
Chuck Wagon Gang reissues from the
Music Mill label. Like its companion disc,
Looking for a City,
I'll Fly Away spans the decades, with recordings from 1942-1966. The repertoire again shows a liking for
Albert E. Brumley hymns, performed in no-nonsense four-part harmony with only a guitar for accompaniment. On some cuts, one of the two ladies sounds quite a bit like
Anita Carter as heard on
the Carter Family's early-'60s recordings, but without the flourishes of commercial
country music. The songs are mostly familiar favorites such as
"Where the Soul Never Dies," "God Put a Rainbow in the Clouds," and the title track. The group's unchanging approach to music-making creates a consistent listening experience despite the wide-ranging chronology, and the total absence of affectation is refreshing for those who regard today's slick
gospel music with skepticism.
I'll Fly Away does not overlap with
Looking for a City, and is recommended in addition to that disc.
~Greg Adams, All Music Guide