Description
Originally released on Epic in 1965 as a live in-church session, Legacy’s 1991 reissue of Freedom Highway includes two of the original LP tracks supplemented by some truly spirited late-’60s Epic recordings. Despite the glaring omissions, Freedom Highway never feels like a hastily thrown-together compilation. Instead, it follows an arc that deftly mirrors the religious, political, and social fervor of the ’60s as filtered through the warm vibrato of Pops Staples’ amplifier and the golden throats of his brood. Gospel standards like “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “Wade in the Water” benefit from the full band arrangements, giving them a swift kick of rock & roll that would eventually morph into the soul-funk sound of their popular ’70s period
