20 Years Later: Revisiting The Word’s Instrumental, Sacred Steel Self Titled Debut LP

There’s musical chemistry, then there’s personal chemistry, the combustible combination of which can ignite extraordinarily creative results when mixed in the proper proportions by the right musicians. The Word is just such a convergence of personalities: The North Mississippi Allstars, John Medeski, and Robert Randolph had all proven themselves skilled, intuitive players and composers when they decided to record together in 2000, but what cemented the bond was their affinity for the sounds of sacred steel, a style of music with its roots in the Southern church. 

The fivesome’s common interest manifests itself in exactly that which the title of the opening track describes: “Joyous Sounds.” The musicians’ passion kindled through Randolph’s playing on “Without God” from an Arhoolie Records album, it was only natural to include the cut as the quintet elsewhere fused the varied influences they brought to MMW’s Shacklyn Studios. Engineered by MMW audio guru Scott Hard(ing) and produced by Medeski for release on Ropeadope Records, their eponymous, all instrumental debut album (released 7/31/01), evinced their natural affinity for each other as musicians plus the time and effort that went into preparation for the sessions. 

The Word’s collective predisposition to spontaneously stretch the boundaries of a given idiom only makes the music more infectious and accessible. The aforementioned opener reminds of more than a few NMAS tracks and so vividly represents the tenor of the album, an extra snippet of it appears at the end of the ten tracks following the formal conclusion tendered through Medeski’s composition “Untitled.” The near-ambient lines the keyboardist (fittingly) plays on the organ throughout that track impart and maintain a spur-of-the-moment air fully in keeping with the preceding interpolations of public domain arrangements and blues-gospel covers like “Keep-time Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning” (also a long staple of the Hot Tuna repertoire). 

Another original titled “Waiting On My Wings” is essentially a rhythmic vamp. More than a little reminiscent of  MMW circa Uninvisible, co-composer Luther’s vigorous chording complements  Randolph’s treated steel, itself an echo of the electric washboard Cody plays. “At The Cross” and “I Shall Not Be Moved,” just over two and a half-minutes long each, are striking instances of the proverbial lightning in a bottle The Word captured on this album, while the soft ringing of bell-like tones on vibes during that last-named cut is a tacit acknowledgment of the fundamental source of this music (as is the prevalent use of gospel-tinged acoustic piano). It is no less respectful for the indirect nature of its inclusion.

The Word did one proper tour at the outset of their union and, in the short term, relegated most subsequent live performances to special occasions such as the Bonnaroo festival in 2005 and 2012. But the group did hit the road again in 2015, not coincidentally right around the time of a second studio album, Soul Food:  released ever-so-fittingly on the folk-oriented label Vanguard Records, this LP is at once as uproarious and distinctly reflective of the group’s core concept as its predecessor, if not more so, solidifying the impression of authenticity left by the earlier effort of this carefully-conceived collaboration. 

At this point two decades removed from their original union, The Word lives on only in spirit. Yet considering it is precisely a certain spirit that originally moved these five men to join together, who can say what inspiring circumstances might once again spur them into united action?