Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone

Fellow Chicagoan Jeff Tweedy is in the producer's chair for Mavis Staples' You Are Not Alone (September 14, Anti-), a brilliant, unerringly powerful album of gospel, blues, soul and rock -- all staples (sorry) of the iconic "singer's singer" known for "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself". Traditional gospel numbers mingle with two new songs written for Mavis by Tweedy along with Staples' own take on songs by Pops Staples, Randy Newman, Allen Toussaint, John Fogerty, Rev. Gary Davis and Little Milton. Alone follows up Staples' excellent 2007 studio set We'll Never Turn Back, an album of song from the civil rights era produced by yet another high-profile artist: Ry Cooder.

Tweedy brought in some friends to assist in the project's recording at Wilco's studio The Loft including Neko Case, Kelly Hogan and Wilco's Patrick Sansone on keys and vibes. “All of these songs are me, but in a different way, with a different sound,” says Staples. “The phrasing, the tempos, the arrangements are different, but the messages are the same things I’ve been saying down through the years. They’re about the world today—poverty, jobs, welfare, all of that—and making it feel better through these songs.” Check out the live acoustic version video of the You Are Not Alone's title track (with Tweedy) and a fine interview EPK after the jump.

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Mavis Staples - "You Are Not Alone" (from the album You Are Not Alone)

Track listing for Mavis Staples, You Are Not Alone

1. You Don’t Knock (Pops Staples/Wesley Westbrook)
2. You Are Not Alone (Jeff Tweedy)
3. Downward Road (Pops Staples)
4. In Christ There is No East and West (traditional; arranged by Jeff Tweedy)
5. Creep Along, Moses (traditional)
6. Losing You (Randy Newman)
7. I Belong to the Band (Rev. Gary Davis)
8. Last Train (Allen Toussaint)
9. Only the Lord Knows (Jeff Tweedy)
10. Wrote A Song for Everyone (John Fogerty)
11. We’re Gonna Make It (Little Milton)
12. Wonderful Savior (traditional)
13. Too Close To Heaven / I'm On My Way to Heaven Anyhow (Prof. Alex E. BradfordJr./Brad Pathway