2008 Pop Conference Bios/Abstracts

Mike McGonigal

Mike McGonigal has written about music since 1984, when he started the fanzine Chemical Imbalance. His book on My Bloody Valentine''s Loveless was published in Continuum''s 33 and 1/3 series. Today McGonigal lives in Portland, Ore., where he oversees editorial for Yeti publications and has two book projects in the works.Panel(s):
Freedom Then
Friday, April 11, 2008, 2:00 - 3:45Abstract:

"Freedom Highway"
I want to discuss the 1965 Epic LP* Freedom Highway by the Chicago-based gospel family act the Staple Singers. The Staples are best-known today for their string of hits for Stax in the ''70s. But in the early to mid 1960s, they were basically the house band for the Civil Rights movement (at the same time that they were the best-selling gospel act in the country). Recorded live at Chicago''s New Nazareth Church and dedicated to the freedom marchers in Selma, AL, Freedom Highway marks a perfect middle point between the Staples'' sepulchral yet bluesy gospel to their more straight-ahead, moralistic pop songs. The album has dozens of references to the contemporary struggle, from the overt to the Biblical (Pops Staples quotes from Romans on the back of the album). As the record progresses, you can hear the congregation more and more; it''s so clear that they''re responding to the continued references to the struggle as well as the gospel itself (gospel literally meaning "the good news"). The audience members begin to fall out and to clap and sing along louder, culminating in the church choir joining in on the final song. I can think of few other recordings that reflect turbulent times at the same time that they so clearly are influencing them. There''s so much else I want to say here, but I''ve already reached the word count.

*Freedom Highway was never reissued; the CD that bears its name only includes two tracks from the LP''s original ten.