Joy. That’s the word. Joy. Throw in hope too and you have a summary of If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me).
This is Stax at its peak, in its heyday and sung by gospel/soul royalty. The song followed hot on the heels of I’ll Take You There, a song destined to become oft-covered and a classic. It shares much of the same DNA – the tune is similar in melody and cadence. I’ll Take You There is a fine song indeed. But there is a casual warmth and uplifting spirit to If You’re Ready… which mirrors the hopes of the lyrics and, in my view, takes it to another level.
The lyrics are fresh from the Staple Singers gospel roots, albeit divorced from all mention of the church. The timing is important – the summer of love was only 6 years previous and Woodstock 4 years. “Pops” Staple was a close friend of Martin Luther King so the Civil Rights Movement was an essential component, whilst social protest and rebellion against the Vietnam War was now a constant. The love, peace and harmony messages were now mainstream. The song exhorts the listener to join up on a trip to harmony in the same way as People Get Ready. This could have been preachy – ironic given the Staple Singers church roots. Instead it is an invite.
It’s a song of peace and love and hope and given the Staple Singers roots there’s a religious implication, although less overt than Curtis Mayfield’s composition. The song is a litany of actions which mankind should avoid in order to create harmony. No hatred, no wars, no political exploitation, no political domination, no lying and no backstabbing. “Peace and love come go with me/ Will grow between the races/ Love is the only transportation/ To where there’s total communication.” It’s a recipe for utopia from “God’s Greatest Hitmakers”.
Let’s draw a parallel. Two years beforehand in 1971 John Lennon had brought his vision for the future to the world through the epic Imagine. Along with Give Peace A Chance this provided a romanticised ideal of man living together. Whether it was Phil Spector’s heavy production or Lennon’s slightly ethereal vocal, Imagine seems feels a little clinical (the same cannot be said of Give Peace A Chance of course). In comparison, If You’re Ready is emotional and uplifting. This is aspirational and idealistic stuff and I find that the Staple Singers exudes warmth and humanity compared to Lennon’s comparative sterility.
Mavis Staple’s voice is beautiful and rich. The lyrics slide into a call and response with the backing vocal, which consistently gives the invitation to Come Go With Me. Allied to this, the exquisite phrasing is made all the better by the emotion invoked. The harmonies are like honey.
And make no bones about it this is also top drawer Muscle Shoals territory and the Swampers’ easy groove swings throughout. The song starts off with a warming bassline and authoritative strings. From this it begins to build with subtle horns throughout and these rise in prominence giving further warmth to energy. Even the slightly cheesy and conspicuous chime of the cymbal adds to the satisfaction. This provides a canvas for a sublime vocal where belief shines through. At various stages the vocal feels like a genuine emotional release – as a rallying call it therefore feels sincere and compelling. There is light and shade in the vocal, at times breathless and earnest and at others an unrestrained release. This is backed up by a complementary and inviting backing vocal from Mavis’s siblings.
2.22 – all bets are off. This is Mavis territory. The song has paused for breath and dropped back to a simple acoustic guitar. It gives freedom for her to soar and she scats along with the bassline and melody. This glorious organic feels like a spontaneous outpouring and from this point on the remaining vocals are freeform and joyous. As Mavis flies Roger Hawkins has caught the bug and the drumming comes to the fore, getting in on the act. At 2.48 there is an excited fill which is subsequently repeated – the brakes have been taken off and the rest of the orchestration grows too.
Mavis inhabits the message of this song and spreads her wings. She acts as an exemplar and the implication is that we could all share this joy and fulfilment too. In living the joy of this harmonious message the Staple Singers feel like an embodiment of the secular but somehow more mournful Imagine. There is a sheer joie de vivre to If You’re Ready… which simply cannot be suppressed.
Come on, yo’all !
Listen here: http://grooveshark.com/s/If+You+re+Ready/3Gu9Mv?src=5
Music Noises 