Jesus Was a Capricorn

Jesus Was a Capricorn

Kris Kristofferson's fourth album was his first with the honey-voiced Rita Coolidge, who sang with her then boyfriend on the Hammond heavy "It Sure Was (Love)" and on the amorous "Give It Time To Be Tender." Despite the fact that these songs hinted at three forthcoming Kristofferson/Coolidge duet albums — all of which would receive critical acclaim — it was Kristofferson's solo performances on the melodramatic religious ballad "Why Me" and the evocative, country rocking, title-track that won both songs number one slots on the country charts, garnering a gold status for Jesus Was a Capricorn. If the title-track's melody sounds familiar, credit it to John Prine. Kristofferson borrowed the harmonic composition of Prine's "Grandpa Was A Carpenter" to sing a hypothetical narrative about the second coming of Christ where his followers dismissed him as a dirty hippie. That's Larry Gatlin's voice opening the cover of his own "Help Me," a lush countrypolitan duet with near perfect vocal harmonies that make for a version even more exquisite than the original. Following that with a wah-wah pedal laden "Jesse Younger" showed confidence in diversity while retaining Kristofferson's warm and familiar sound.

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