The Campbell Brothers
Sacred Steel On Tour!
(Arhoolie Records)

The Campbell Brothers
Sacred Steel For the Holidays
(Arhoolie Records)

Growing up, my church choir definitely didn’t have steel guitars, but if they did maybe I wouldn’t have grumbled so much about waking up on Sunday mornings. If my reverend’s sermons were injected with rippling bass riffs and crashing cymbals, maybe I would have paid more attention. And if the sacred steel-powered Campbell Brothers convened during the passing of the plate, I most definitely would have been more generous, but sadly, these are all “ifs”. Fortunately, the Campbell Brothers have recorded some of their Sunday magic, so that at least some of the guilt of poor church attendance can be assuaged. Sacred Steel On Tour collects a handful of numbers in secular and sacred spaces that reflect the wonder and joy of steel guitar-driven, funkier than thou gospel music. The album is indeed a family affair with Chuck and Darick Campbell on pedal and lap steel respectively, Philip Campbell supplying rhythm guitar, and Carlton Campbell banging away on drums. This is gospel music that relies as much on early spirituals as it does on funk, soul and wailing guitar rock. While similar to rock shows in their marathon intensity, these services are even more debilitating because the rhythms do more than just make your head bob. The Campbell Brothers create the kind of music that requires spotters for old ladies losing control of their limbs as they shake and their way to Gloryland.

Unfortunately, the Campbell Brothers’ Sacred Steel For the Holidays lacks the same piston-pumping intensity, but does indeed have its moments. The emphatically funky “Dreydl Song” will be heard blasting at many a Hanukah soiree and “The Little Drummer Boy” boasts an infectious parade beat and a trippy twin guitar solo that astounds, but much of the rest of the album falls flat. Without the players stretching out, the songs come dangerously close to elevator music territory, and the vocals, while passable, don’t approach the heights that one would expect from a gospel album. Sacred Steel For the Holidays does not rise to the level of A Charlie Brown Christmas or the yuletide ballads of Nat King Cole, but it still is an intriguing showcase for the Campbell Brothers’ unique and uplifting sound.