03/19/05
The Morgan Family - Elijah cassette
Found this one at Family Thrift Center in Baton Rouge, a store that seems to specialize in broken cameras and filthy stuffed animals. Christian praise albums recorded by families are pretty common finds at thrift stores, but this one stands out to me for some reason. Look at that wicked bass guitar in the top photo. The fact that a 12 year old girl in a jean skirt is playing it makes it that much cooler. And that picture of little Trent Morgan on drums? That whited-out effect isn't from my camera's flash - the cassette simply glows with the glory of the Lord at all times. Elijah is a truly blessed album and probably deserves to be sealed up in the Ark of the Covenant instead of lying completely neglected on a shelf in my decidedly unholy apartment.
Track list (and my notes regarding each track):
01. Elijah - Creepy minor key polka/square dance sung by a man whose voice frightens even Jesus.
02. Sin Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Palsied vocals from who I can only assume is Nikki Morgan, the cute little bassist up there. It pains me to say this, but she sounds like a wailing stroke victim here. The background music is light, fluffy elevator stuff, but the vocals are pure audio torture.
03. Goodbye World, Goodbye - A goofy, horn-lead polka song without vocals.
04. Jesus Is Alive And Well - Countryfied white-gospel hoe-down which gleefully details the gruesome imapling of a Jewish man. Sick!
05. Jehovah Jireh - Wanky spanish guitar, warbly off-key horns, tinkly piano lines and cymbal crashes make for a strange atmosphere, but then it devolves into another polka. Wait a second, now it's back to the first part, but with Jewish words belched out by a southern woman over the top of it all. Bizarre, interminable and the perfect compliment to any bad trip you may be having.
06. Beulah Land - What I at first thought was a tribute to poppy Elephant Six-affiliated band Beulah turned out to be some middle-aged housewife screeching all over more elevator fluff.
07. He Ain't Never - More southern-fried God rock. Features a wailing sax that absolutely will not shut up.
08. You're The Same Lord Today - A slow ballad that finds the Morgan Family women complaining about the Lord's lack of spontaneity and growth. Or something.
"It is the Morgan Family's sincere prayer that this tape will be a blessing to all who listen to it. Special thanks to our children for playing and singing this tape." - from the liner notes
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