Six of the 12 songs on the First Lady of Gospel's
Good God were written by
Kurt Carr, while two others were co-written by James Fortune. Despite these collaborations,
Good God is very much a
Shirley Caesar album, more traditional in approach than recent releases from either one of her younger associates. Compared to the majority of contemporary gospel releases, this album is more a showcase for its leader than it is a boisterous backing band and choir. Among the highlights are "Do It Today" (a guiding ballad about combating procrastination with loved ones), "Holy Boldness" (a righteous belter written by
Caesar), and the live opener (featuring
the Thompson Community Singers, who hadn't performed with
Caesar in decades). If anything, the album's overriding theme is one of taking action. It's hard to imagine a motivator more powerful than
Caesar. ~ Andy Kellman