The Staples: “Pass It On” (1976/2020) CD Review

There were some noticeable changes when The Staple Singers released the soundtrack to Let’s Do It Again in 1975, mainly in the subject matter the songs addressed, with the group singing of physical love. And there was another big change the following year when they put out Pass It On, that being the group’s name, which now was shortened to The Staples. They would eventually go back to being called The Staple Singers, but for the next few years they were known as The Staples. And as the 1970s continued, their music took on more elements of disco. As on Let’s Do It Again, Curtis Mayfield wrote all the songs on this album. He also produced the album. This re-issue includes two bonus tracks, as well as new liner notes by Rob Bowman.

The album opens with “The Real Thing Inside Of Me/Party,” which becomes a funky dance number during the “Party” section, with a bit of a disco feel, and of course features some excellent and passionate vocal work from Mavis Staples, especially in the first half. The subject of physical love continued to be part of their music now, and in “Take Your Own Time,” they actually sing the words “like a sex machine” and talk about coming to get your cream and breaking out in a sweat. Yeah, it’s sexy, but it must have been rather shocking to longtime fans of this group when these songs were first played. It’s a cool track, and as the song’s title urges, it takes its time, coming in at almost six minutes, the group offering some delicious vocal riffs to that good groove.

“Sweeter Than The Sweet” was released as a single, though it didn’t move all that far up the chart, missing a spot in the top forty on the R&B chart, and not making the pop chart at all. It’s a fun song, with a good, fast beat, a song I can imagine dancing to at Oil Can Harry’s on Saturday nights and needing a bit of a break afterward, to get a glass of water or something. There is a great deal of energy to this track, especially in the vocals. That’s followed by “Love Me, Love Me, Love Me,” which was the first single released from this album. This one reached #11 on the R&B chart, but didn’t fare well on the pop chart. It’s a nice song, but there isn’t all that much to distinguish it. It feels more like background music, and because of its repetitive nature, at nearly five minutes, it also feels a bit long. With “Pass It On,” the title track, things get more interesting again. It is funky, with a disco beat and some wonderful vocal performances, including by Pops. And the lyrics offer a message about gossip with lines like “Your words really hurt/Nobody’s being honest.” Sounds like a song made for these days of social media, eh? Plus, this track features some good work on guitar. This song was the flip side on the “Love Me, Love Me, Love Me” single.

“Making Love” also has a funky rhythm with some good work on percussion and some interesting touches, including a short section in the middle that has the vibe of a party, with several voices offering thoughts simultaneously over a cool bass line. That’s followed by “Take This Love Of Mine.” There is something kind of sweet about this one, but what I like most about it are those moments when the vocal performance gains some power. The original album concluded with “Precious, Precious,” a song that has a romantic sound. This is a strong track, with an uplifting vibe.

Bonus Tracks

This disc contains two bonus tracks, the single versions of “Sweeter Than The Sweet” and “Love Me, Love Me, Love Me.” As is often the case, these singles are shorter than the album versions. “Sweeter Than The Sweet,” in particular is less than half the length of the album track. Because of its considerably shortened length, it seems to move at a fast pace, to pack all the energy into a tighter structure. “Love Me, Love Me, Love Me” actually benefits from the cut in time, for it is not as repetitive, and I prefer this version.

CD Track List

1. The Real Thing Inside Of Me/Party
2. Take Your Own Time
3. Sweeter Than The Sweet
4. Love Me, Love Me, Love Me
5. Pass It On
6. Making Love
7. Take This Love Of Mine
8. Precious, Precious
9. Sweeter Than The Sweet (Single Edit)
10. Love Me, Love Me, Love Me (Single Edit)

This re-issue of Pass It On is scheduled to be released on June 5, 2020 through Omnivore Recordings. Also on that day, the re-issue of Let’s Do It Again is scheduled to be released.