Higher Ground

1	People Get Ready 3:22
2	Spirit in the Dark 3:15
3	Wade in the Water 3:34
4	Stand by Me 3:01
5	The Cross 2:47
6	Many Rivers to Cross 3:56
7	Higher Ground 6:14
8	Freedom Road 3:37
9	I May Not Can See 3:37
10	You and Your Folks/23rd Psalm 5:42
11	I Shall Not Walk Alone 5:26
12	Precious Lord 3:52

Barnes & Noble

The surprising success of the Blind Boys of Alabama's 2001 Spirit of the Century introduced gospel's legendary voices -- Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter, and George Scott -- to a new audience, thanks to their bluesy takes on classic hymns and the odd Rolling Stones song. For their comeback, the Boys, all in their 70s, make further inroads. Where Spirit was a monumental fusion of swamp blues and church tradition, Higher Ground crackles with youthful energy and verve. Joined by the ecstatic lap-steel gospel messengers Robert Randolph and the Family Band plus special guest Ben Harper, the gentlemen ply their singular pipes over a thoughtful selection of pop hits by Curtis Mayfield, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and others. The magical results always cut through the familiar and straight to the spiritual core of the Blind Boys' message, especially when their powerful voices are challenged by the Family Band's roof-raising sonics. This meeting of church old and new is especially vibrant on the title track, by Stevie Wonder, and the astounding reworking of Funkadelic's "You and Your Folks" with a rap known as the 23rd Psalm. This is southern gospel music as it lives and breathes today. It's hard to tell what's more inspiring about Higher Ground: the continuity of heartfelt, soulful music making across the generations; the sheer musicality of these grand, weathered voices; or the steadfast message behind it all. With grace and glory, the Blind Boys show that you can't stop the blessings. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

Higher Ground, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama's second album for Real World, is even more of a crossover effort than 1997's Spirit of the Century. It sports a classics-heavy track listing, including great choices of inspirational material from R&B legends Stevie Wonder ("Higher Ground"), Curtis Mayfield ("People Get Ready"), Aretha Franklin ("Spirit in the Dark"), Prince ("The Cross"), Jimmy Cliff ("Many Rivers to Cross"), and George Clinton ("You and Your Folks"). Another inspired choice is the backing band, sacred-steel guitarist Robert Randolph and the Family Band, who provides a rock-solid rhythm, yet also lends the feeling necessary to frame the vocals. Leads Clarence Fountain and George Scott, who've been performing together for over 50 years, direct the ensemble with gospel fire; Fountain's original, "Stand by Me," is a rollicking jubilee number done with all the energy of his mid-'50s performances. Elsewhere, Randolph contributes some great licks to "I May Not Can Se," another group original, and Ben Harper stops by to deliver a piercing high tenor on "People Get Ready." John Bush

Rolling Stone

[Higher Ground] is even better than [Spirit of the Century]. The group tackles everyone from Prince to the great Curtis Mayfield -- their remake of his classic "People Get Ready" is actually an improvement on the original. Another stunning set of songs from Alabama’s finest, and more proof of gospel’s influence on R&B and rock & roll. Mark Kemp

Vibe

Higher Ground succeeds by nudging, rather than dragging, classic gospel harmonies into the modern-pop era. Tony Green