The Mighty Clouds of Joy, “The Best of the Mighty Clouds of Joy, Vol. I and II” (1973)<i> MCA</i>

The best gospel music doesn’t just sing the praises of the kingdom of heaven--through heavenly harmonies and soul-stirring expressions of faith it can bring a glimpse of that kingdom to Earth. The Mighty Clouds of Joy have been providing such a musical portal for more than three decades now, and as anyone who’s seen them live can attest, when they’re on, they’re as good as gospel ensemble singing gets.

Though the veteran group has recently released a mostly live 10-song retrospective (“Memory Lane--Best of the Mighty Clouds of Joy”), these earlier collections offer a better overview of their peak performances. (They are officially available only on cassette nowadays, but if you poke around you might luck out and run across them on CD in the bargain bins.) Among the 20 songs on these two CDs (three from Volume I are repeated on Volume II) are such traditionals as “Family Circle” (their version of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”), “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” as well as more recent originals including Elmeo Franklin’s “Nobody Can Turn Me Around.”

Listening to lead singer Joe Ligon’s fiery vocals, it’s instantly clear why gospel music gave birth to so many of the great soul singers. It’s also easy to hear the influence rock and R&B; had on gospel, both in the Clouds’ arrangements and in use of electric guitars and drums. His raspy growl, both in the songs and several sermon-like introductions and interludes, is balanced by the gossamer high harmonies from the other Clouds.

The Gospels are often described as “good news,” a term that also applies beautifully to the group’s appearance tonight at the Irvine Barclay Theatre (see Country, Folk & Traditional listings, Page 14).