v/a: This May Be My Last Time Singing: Raw African-American Gospel on 45rpm

Label: Tompkins Square

Oh my god! But that's only a part of the story here, and actually, not even that large a part. For while "gospel" is in the title -- and sure enough, every song here in one way or another exults the Lord -- the music splattered across these three discs (spanning 1957-82) is so wildly varied that heathens might begin to wonder if there isn't a place for them somewhere at the table. The music here (compiled only from 45s by Mike McGonigal, who helmed the great Fire in My Bones collection a few years back) moves from the incredible inward guitar melodies of Rev. R Henderson, whose "Stop Living on Me" sounds like a rural guitar master forecasting both lo-fi rock and the North African folk-blues of Tinariwen et al., to the holy drum-machinery of Sound of Soul's "Perfect like the Angels," which brings classic R&B-style harmonies together with '80s music technology. It's kind of insane, kind of insanely cool. And there are so many other tunes that'll put you in that same spirit: the soul-screamer "God's New Building" by (awesome name alert) Little Midget & the Morning Stars, the irresistible pairing of wicked blues guitar licks and hand-claps on Spiritual Echoes' "Let Your Will Be Done," and the classic massed-choir response of "Jesus Will Fix It" by (deep breath) Pleasant Grove Community Chorus Of Saulsburg, TN (Led by Marvin McCulery). That name tells you how deep this collection goes; the music tells the rest.