For the first half of the '70s, the Staple Singers were that rarest of all musical creatures: a consciousness-raising hit machine. This 1972 album contains two of their biggest crossover smashes — “Respect Yourself” and “I'll Take You There” — as well as the Top Ten R&B hit “The World.” But the whole record is up to that standard, with Mavis's fiery vocals and Pops'lowdown guitar delivering the goods on such inspirational gospel-tinged soul numbers as “We the People,” “I'm Just Another Soldier” and “Who.”