Any recommendations for some good gritty gospel music? Thanks in advance.

Slint... just kidding.
Johnny Cash sang some of the good word. I heard it's not half bad.

I really like this album, although I don't know if it is exactly what you mean by gritty.

Holmes Brothers
Hummingbirds
Campbell brothers (awesome rocking sacred steel guitar)
Mighty Clouds of Joy
Staple Singers (Pops Staples is an incredible guitarist, Mavis Has a huge voice)
the Blind Boys of Alabama
Any Alan Lomax location gospel recordings, especially the Virginia Coast singers and the Sacred Harp shape-note singers.

The Holmes Brothers of which Steve speaks did a remarkable version of that horrid Collective Soul song "Shine"

Al Green's latest have been pretty good- still has an amazing voice, and I think his two recent albums have been more gospel leaning...

steve wrote:the Sacred Harp shape-note singers.

Anyone interested in shape-note singing - and anyone curious - should check out one of the local events.

http://shape-note.uchicago.edu/events/singings.html

I'm always surprised by the lack of alternative rockers at these rockin' howl-fests. The February 6th one should be great.

Blind Willie Johnson--there is none "grittier."

Washington Phillips--not so gritty but oh so pretty, and he plays a totally unique instrument, the dulceola. He first popularized "I Had a Real Good Mother and Father," later covered by both the Palace Brothers and Gillian Welch.

Dolly Parton's early record of religious songs, Golden Streets of Glory, is fantastic. Loretta Lynn's Hymns is real good, too.

If you're really serious, there's that big crazy boxed set of early gospel music that came out a year or so ago. I forget what it's called; I don't have it, but I hear it's stupendous.

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:If you're really serious, there's that big crazy boxed set of early gospel music that came out a year or so ago. I forget what it's called; I don't have it, but I hear it's stupendous.

Goodbye Babylon

Fun Fact: The guy who put that box set out did a recording of nothing but organ fans with Steve at Electrical Audio that was put out on 7" by the Edition Ellipsis label a few years back.

I can definitely second the Blind Willie Johnson and Washington Phillips selections. Those two guys are mindblowing. The BWJ complete recordings set (only 2 CDs) on Columbia is crucial. Sacred Harp music is wonderful as well - especially the earlier Lomax recordings. I've been to a few singings down here in Georgia and Alabama and while they're wonderful, they just don't have the same fervor they had back in the 40s and 50s.

The Sacred Steel compilation on Arhoolie:

http://www.arhoolie.com/titles/450.shtml

is fantastic.

I was also reminded recently just how good the Soul Stirrers (particularly Sam Cooke-era) were.

"Get Right with God"- Hot Gospel vol.1

I remember vol. 2 being good as well, but I don't have that one.