Rating: NN
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As long as the Blind Boys of Alabama keep getting nominations for industry awards, producer John Chelew appears content to reapply the same formula of softening the legendary hard gospel group’s vocal attack, using them to accompany a roster of celebrity guests and then having them sing some corny pop songs for mainstream appeal. On Atom Bomb, Blackalicious rapper Gift of Gab, who has no apparent connection to the Blind Boys or gospel music in general, drops a few dull rhymes and some “yeah-yeahing” on two tracks, while blues harpist Charlie Musselwhite shows up to blow a little over the distorted guitar fills of Los Lobos main man David Hidalgo. This album’s troubling secular turn is the foolish cover of the Norman Greenbaum novelty Spirit In The Sky, which was a mistake when Zodiac Mindwarp revived it. The saddest news of all is that this is the last recording of baritone singer George Scott. The group’s co-founder died last week at age 75.
