right down to your shoestrings" and "absolutely infectious". Regarding Thomas Dorsey's frailty, George Nierenberg "succeeds in involving us so completely that the question of whether Dorsey can summon the will to make it to the gospel convention, in which he has participated since 1933, becomes a true cliffhanger and Dorsey's appearance has the meaning for us that it has for the convention members. That is superb filmmaking." Similarly, Alex Keneas of Newsday called it "infectiously joyous", but gave it two and a half stars out of three because it "rambles". In the Boston Globe, Steve Morse comments that Say Amen, Somebody "is not just a film of historical impact. It is a film about human courage – the faith to follow one's inspiration no matter what the cost." A second round of reviews came out in 2019. Slant Magazine gave the restoration three and a half stars out of four, calling it a "boisterous, often extraordinary film". Reviewer Chuck Bowen took away half a star for his observation that the film seems to neglect addressing racism as a primary cause of the cathartic power behind gospel music. Michael Giltz in Book and Film Globe, writes, "Ken Burns would need sixteen hours to scratch the surface of the complex and riveting history of gospel music. But in 100 minutes of Say Amen Somebody, director Nierenberg gives a sense of the music's history, the major figures, the flaws (like the sexism of the churches) and sees a resurgence up ahead." Giltz praises cinematographers Don Lenzer and Edward Lachman in particular. John DeFore of the Hollywood Reporter writes that Say Amen, Somebody is "a joy-filled portrait with a healthy appetite for performance footage" and "a must for serious gospel fans, it also holds unexpected value for those interested in how attitudes have changed (or haven't) about women with careers outside the home." And Mark Labowskie of PopMatters says, "Even if you don't literally 'believe', you want to believe in the social possibilities this [film] represents. Say Amen, Somebody has been discussed in academic journals as well: Deborah Smith Pollard in the Journal of the Society for American Music writes, "Moving visuals such as these are noteworthy, opening up entry points for those who teach African American culture to highlight the multiplicity of ways in which individuals respond to worship services, sacred music programs, or films as riveting as Say Amen, Somebody." Reviewing the