finds Staples surrounded on various tracks by inspired helping hands: Bonnie Raitt and her band shine on a charged reworking of Jackson Browne's "World in Motion" while Ry Cooder chips in with magnificent acoustic slide work on the swampy "Down in Mississippi" and the spirited "I Shall Not Be Moved." Still, it is primarily the power of Pops's heartfelt vocals and his incisive, trademark blues-gospel guitar style that provide the strongest glow. You can hear generations of soul-preacher moves in the monologues of "Love Is a Precious Thing" and "Miss Cocaine," and decades of influential guitar riffs on "This May Be the Last Time." Ultimately, though, you're left with a message and a wish: "Thank you, Lord, for another day/Help my brother along the way/Please bring peace to the neighborhood." Amen. (RS 637)

BILLY ALTMAN