Gospel great
Marion Williams possessed one of the strongest voices in the history of American music, and with a four-octave range coupled with her uncanny rhythmic timing and a dynamic grasp of melisma that kept it from being mere ornamentation, she stalked the gospel stage like few have before or since.
Remember Me is a powerful retrospective of
Williams' solo years, and includes several live and previously unissued tracks, all of which feature her stunning, dynamic singing. Her version of "God Bless the Child" here exhibits none of the apparent resignation that many singers have given the song over the years, but instead instills it with a strength of will that turns it from resigned acceptance to hard statement from note one. Similarly, her take on "O Death" changes the tone of the song from a desperate request to a flat-out demand for "another day."
Williams' 1981 version of "City of Heaven" is a huge, ominous masterpiece, and the bluesy emotion in her voice is almost terrifying in its immediacy. Had she aimed her talents at the secular side,
Williams would have undoubtedly been widely acknowledged as one of the greatest singers of her era (following her death in 1994, Rolling Stone actually proclaimed her "the greatest singer ever"), but she stuck to gospel, which limited her audience. Her influence in the pop field, though, has been quietly immense, and every soul singer on earth owes her a great deal.
Remember Me is the perfect introduction to this amazing singer. ~ Steve Leggett