What can I say?  Times are certainly tough these days. But the music on this CD offers some relief from this rough social and economic days of confusion.

It's all about sticking with the community, sticking with your family, just plain standing by someone, exemplified in the great recording by Ben E. King, "Stand By Me."  You can't help but feel the good spirits of support and love on classic songs such as the Four Tops "Reach Out I'll Be There," Sam & Dave's "Hold On I'm Comin'" or Al Green's "Call Me (Come Back Home." You bet, it's all about home and just being there.

Consider the Spinners "I'll Be Around," a #1 R&B smash, produced by Thom Bell, along with Gamble-Huff, creating a new Philadelphia sound for the former Motown vocal group. The song is a joyful statement of long-term commitment, and was one of the warmest soul records of the '70s. With Phillippe Wynne singing lead over a mid-tempo rhythm, the record conveyed one of the most influential sounds of the pre-disco era.

But nothing but nothing surpasses Bill Withers' #1 R&B and Pop hit from 1972, "Lean on Me."
The song is based on Withers' experience growing up poor in the West Virginia coal mining town of Slab Fork. Times were indeed hard, and whenever a neighbor was struggling, the rest of the community would hold out a helping hand.

The song's simple chord progression was created by Wither's simply noodling around on a new electric piano he didn't even yet know how to play. Withers knew the song had the right feel from the very beginning--because it reminded him of the church hymns he had heard in his youth.

And there's lots more church on this great collection from the fabulous Roots of Rhythm series available through the kindhearted folks at PopKrazy .