SouthernGospelBlog.com

Rating: 4.5 (of 5).

Average Song Rating: 3.9 (of 5).

Producer: Roger Talley.

Song List: God is Great, Good, and Merciful; True Love Has No Limits; Paramount Love; The Broken Ones; That’s Enough; We Who Come Behind; I Think Too Much of Her; I Don’t Understand it But it Does; Too Much to Gain To Lose; Preach.

Available From: Crossroads, Amazon, Christianbook.com.

***

The Talley Trio invariably finds several strong songs for each of their projects. But Stages, the Talley Trio’s 2007 release, features one of their strongest collections of songs to date. When I first heard the project a few weeks, I knew it was worth reviewing, even if it was roughly a year old.

The project features several appearances by friends of the Talley Trio over the years. Connie Hopper makes a guest appearance on “Paramount Love.” (Roger and Debra both performed with Connie in the Hoppers before leaving to start the Talleys.) Thanks to the wonders of digital technology, the late Jake Hess’s is paired with Lauren Talley for a duet on “That’s Enough.” Marcy Kelsey Beckett appears on “Too Much to Gain to Lose.” Preacher John Hagee contributes a spoken introduction to the project’s most catchy tune, “Preach.”

Of all the radio-worthy songs on the project, “The Broken Ones” saw the most chart success, making it to the #1 spot in May 2008. The project’s first two songs (”God is Great, Good and Merciful” and “True Love Has No Limits”) and the closing track (”Preach”) are also strong numbers that should have also done well on radio if they had been singled.

Quite simply, even though their in-the-studio updates suggest they’re making a good run at it for their upcoming fall release, this project will be hard to top.

Rating: 3.5 stars (of 5)

Produced By: Wayne Haun.

Song List: On the Way Up; The Grave Can’t Hold Me; The Miracle Man; Out of His Way; Through Every Storm; Our Highest Praise; Because of the Blood; Joy in My Heart; I Still Have it All; The Things That Won’t Be There; That’s When God Steps In; I Don’t Regret.

Available from: HisSong, Vine, Crossroads, Springside, Amazon, Christianbook.com.

***

The main adjective that this project brings to mind is “ambitious.” Given a larger-than-average budget and a master producer, what can a second-tier group achieve?

This project gives us a pretty good idea.

It contains mostly new songs, though it includes three covers, a Walt Mills / Tanya Goodman collaboration, “Joy in My Heart,” and two Hemphills covers, “On My Way Up” and “The Miracle Man.” Song selection is good, a decent selection of ballads, mid-tempo numbers, and fast songs, though mid-tempo songs seem to be predominant.

The group has a good vocal blend; probably its most distinctive voice is Adam Elrod’s tenor part. Elrod is a power tenor in the Danny Funderburk tradition.

The album isn’t exactly traditional, but it’s not really fully progressive either. It incorporates elements as diverse as Black Gospel arrangements, orchestral ballads, and a session band with some familiar names in the (small) Southern Gospel session player universe–Gordon Mote, Ricky Free, Craig Nelson, Randy Miller, and others.

No song jumps out as a likely breakout hit for the group. But the project is quite listenable and shows promise of a group that has strong potential to be top-tier material.

Song List: My Name is Lazarus (Greater Vision); I Wish I Could Have Been There (Perrys); For God So Loved (Brian Free & Assurance); If it Had Not Been the Lord (McRaes); The Cross (Crabb Family); There’s a Brighter Day (Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet); Oh What a Savior (Ernie Haase); Climbing Jacob’s Ladder (Ann Downing); He Called Me Out (The Nelons); I Take Him Back (Mike Bowling); We Want America Back (The Steeles); In Time, On Time, Every Time (Gold City); Oasis (New Hinsons); I Found Grace (Legacy Five); Day Three (LordSong); Don’t Let the Sandals Fool Ya (Triumphant Quartet); Safe Thus Far (Hoskins Family); Fight On (Smith, White and Fairchild); Hello in Heaven (Freemans); Hallelujah Heavenly Horn (Cumberland Quartet with the Gospel Brass).

Available From: Daywind, Amazon, Christianbook.com.

Trying to review a two-year-old label compilation is a rather interesting challenge. Though it was just sent to me for review, it has a copyright date of 2006. With the possible exception of two songs that have no copyright date listed, all the songs on the project were released between 1996 and 2005. The compilation covers a decent spectrum of Daywind’s artists, with no artist being featured on more than one song.

Artist comments are included on five of the twenty songs (”If It Had Not Been the Lord,” “For God So Loved,” “I Wish I Coudl Have Been There,” “Don’t Let the Sandals Fool Ya,” and “Safe Thus Far.”)

This is an enjoyable collection of some of the most recognizable songs released on the Daywind label. But in these days of iTunes and ready availabity of individual songs, this radio compilation could be one of the last of its species.

Rating: 3.5 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 3 stars (of 5)

Producers: Jeff Collins, Roger Fortner.

Song List: Oh How Precious Is the Flow; Remember the Mountain; Oh What a Trade; How Deep the Father’s Love For Us; Without Him; I Believe; Look How Big My God Is; Something More; I’ve Made Up My Mind; I’ll Keep Trusting You; Between Twelve and Thirty-Three; I Thought You Ought to Know.

Available from: McKameys.

* * *

The McKameys know what their fans want, and they are smart enough to stick to it. Something More offers twelve (mostly) new songs, including contributions by Larry Petree, Rodney Griffin, Rusty Golden, Jerry Salley, and several from former group member Sheryl Farris.

The album contains few surprises. Probably the biggest surprise is their cover of the modern praise song “How Deep the Father’s Love.” The arrangement does a superb job of adapting the song to the McKameys’ style–so well, in fact, that most McKameys fans would probably assume the song had its origins in Southern Gospel and was original to the group.

“Between Twelve and Thirty-three” is a contribution from the authors of the Signature Sound hit song “John in the Jordan,” Rusty Golden and Jerry Salley (joined here by Jim McBride). While this blog’s subject matter doesn’t really extend to doctrinal analysis of specific lyrics, the chorus might raise the eyebrows of members of some denominations:

Eighteen years are a mystery
His last three years He made history
Became the Savior He was sent to be
Between twelve and thirty-three

The rest of the album contains an enjoyable mix of up-tempo songs and ballads in the McKamey’s signature style of fairly current accomaniment to traditional Appalchian vocals. This album follows the old adage, “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” and will not disappoint fans of the McKamey’s style of Southern Gospel.

Rating: **** (of 5)

Average Song Rating: *** 1/2 (of 5)

Producers: Bill Gaither, Guy Penrod, Marshall Hall, Wes Hampton

Song List: I’m Forgiven; Build an Ark; Jesus and John Wayne; Go Ask; Home of Your Dreams; Search Me Lord; Lonely Mile; There’s Always a Place at the Table; The Diff’rence Is In Me; I’m Loving Life; When I Cry; Prisoner of Hope; Then He Bowed His Head and Died

Available from: Gaither.com, Springside, Amazon, Christianbook.com.

***

Lovin’ Life is the second project with the group’s current lineup (third if you count Together). Group members Wes Hampton (tenor), Guy Penrod (lead), Marshall Hall (baritone), and Bill Gaither (bass) made the somewhat unusual move of jointly co-producing the project; each group member is listed as a producer, and there was no outside producer.

The project, par for the course of GVB projects, features a fairly even mixture of new songs, recycled songs, and covers. Two tracks, “Lonely Mile,” and “I’m Forgiven,” come from the Imperials repertoire (though from two vastly different stylistic eras, 1964 and 1980, respectively). Several familiar Gaither tracks are brought back, most notably “Then He Bowed His Head and Died,” the project-closing big ballad, and “Go Ask,” superbly arranged and featuring Bill Gaither on the verses.

A few of the project’s tracks were previously recorded by the Gaither Vocal Band. “Search Me, Lord,” previously recorded on their Testify Southern Classics project, appears to use the same soundtrack and arrangement. “Build an Ark” is the same song previously recorded by the GVB and the Cathedrals. This rendition doesn’t have quite the same energy of the 1984 Cathedrals rendition; this is probably partly since Bill Gaither doesn’t sing George Younce’s bass answer-back part on the chorus.

This project’s real gems are its five new songs. I have long been of the opinion that with one of the greatest songwriters in Christian music in the group (plus several others in his family), it would be foolish to under-utilize or under-emphasize his contributions. Bill and Gloria Gaither co-wrote three of the five new songs (”Jesus and John Wayne,” “There’s Always a Place at the Table,” and “Home Of Your Dreams”), two of them with their son Benjamin. Interestingly, the other two new songs (”I’m Lovin’ Life” and “Prisoner of Hope”) were songs Benjamin co-wrote with other contributors.

“There is Always a Place at the Table,” Wes Hampton’s feature song, is perhaps the project’s most memorable track (and certainly is one of its best). “Home of Your Dreams” has an almost cinematic feel, accented by the long (mostly) instrumental ending. It would seem more at home in a movie soundtrack than on a top 40 SG radio station.

The Gaither Vocal Band’s last major release, Give it Away, was their first since Russ Taff and David Phelps left the group. That project started the process of defining the new lineup’s sound. Roughly two more years on the road have given this lineup time to establish its own identity.

Now more free from the pressure to fill another lineup’s shoes, Lovin’ Life shows the current Gaither Vocal Band quite comfortable in its own.

Rating: **** (of 5)

Producer: Wayne Haun

Song List: O Worship the King; Mysterious Ways; Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus; I See a Crimson Stream; Near the Cross; Surely God is Able; What a Friend We Have in Jesus; Be Still My Soul; Let the Lower Lights Be Burning; When God Dips His Love in MY Heart; The Savior is Waiting; When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.

Available from: Janet Paschal, Vine Records, Springside, Amazon, ChristianBook.com.

***

In 2005, Janet Paschal walked through the valley of the shadow of death, fighting cancer. During that time, the hymns she memorized as a child came back to her and took on new meaning. She had never recorded a hymns project before, and decided to do one that was both “authentic and really different.”

The album’s twelve tracks are diverse and innovatively arranged. The first four songs serve as a preview for the styles on the rest of the album; a majestic, classical arrangement of “O Worship the King” (accompanied by the Prague Philharmonic) is followed by the black Gospel song “Mysterious Ways,” a simple piano-based arrangement of “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” and the Appalachian-flavored “I See a Crimson Stream.” The latter song is one of the project’s highlights; the backing vocals were originally performed by Paschal herself. A new vocal arrangement of the song replacing these vocals with a trio consisting of Paschal, Charlotte Ritchie, and Sheri Easter is the project’s current single.

These four styles are interwoven throughout the rest of the project. The fully orchestrated classical feel is most evident on a majestic rendition of “Be Still, My Soul.” Black Gospel influences are evident on “Surely God is Able,” “When God Dips His Love in My Heart,” and “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning.” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is arranged in an Appalachian style.

The project’s closing song, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” was recorded live with an organ and choir at Belle Mead United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee.

This project’s selections range from the familiar to the forgotten, from the fast to the slow. But it manages to do this in a way that doesn’t seem forced; the diversity becomes a sweeping and inclusive celebration of faith.

Rating: ****

Producers: Jeff Collins, Mark Bishop

Song List: Falling Star; Fields of Love; Big Big World; The Tent Revival; Poor Goliath; Every Memory; What’s So Bad About Believing?; The Prayer; He Never Sleeps; Take Another Step; Tell Me What You See; Blue Skies; Love and Faith.

Website: www.markbishopmusic.com, www.thefieldsoflove.com

Available on 6/17 from: Crossroads, Artist Website, Album Website.

***

A “concept album.”

Wikipedia defines a “concept album” as “an album which is ‘unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical.’”

A “concept album” is the sort of thing that has to be defined in Southern Gospel, since its like has rarely (if ever) been seen before in the genre. Similar things have been done before in Christian music, just in other genres. Michael Card has recorded several concept albums covering everything from the life of Peter to a complete album about the Incarnation. Perhaps the closest parallel in Christian music to the project at hand is The Roar of Love (2nd Chapter of Acts), a concept album based on the Chronicles of Narnia (sound clips here for anyone interested).

If anyone in Southern Gospel is positioned to give a concept album a try, it would be Mark Bishop. His story-songs have defined his songwriting, particularly in his solo years. Since Bishop’s dedicated fans enjoy story-songs, they would perhaps be more receptive to an effort to extend a story over an entire project.

Story synopsis: It’s set in a Midwest farm. The farmer’s wife dies in childbirth, but the son survives. The father turns away from God in his anger, and to an extent from the son as well. At the county fair, the son comes across a tent-meeting revival; this prompts a conversation which challenges the faith of father and son. The son has a bout with pneumonia which drives the father to seek God again. This time, God answers with a yes, saving the son’s life. The father turns back to God.

Could this story have been captured in one song?

Perhaps it is something that a songwriter of Bishop’s stature could have pulled off–to a point. But no matter how talented the songwriter, nobody could capture some of the key elements and motifs of the drama that play out over this more extended musical journey.

Bishop’s solos bear some stylistic resemblance to his usual fare, but the album as a whole is more varied. Debra Talley provides several narrations, and there are also some spoken-word parts by Bishop and the farmer’s son (played by Dennis Kuzmich). Reggie Sadler provides guest vocals on “The Tent Revival,” and the Kingdom Heirs make a guest appearance on “Poor Goliath.” The variety helps provide a width and depth to the musical drama.

The album has to be listened to as a whole. Taken any other way, it cannot be fully appreciated. On initial listen, no song grabbed my attention individually. This seemed to be a general reaction among early listeners to the song, prompting the question of whether Bishop would release any singles from the album. He said he would–that he had made sure to include two radio-friendly songs on the project. It’s not immediately evident which songs those are.

I was expecting a somewhat bigger musical conclusion. “Take Another Step,” the conversion song, does have a memorable enough melody to stick with you after listening to the project once or twice. But the three tracks following return more to the musical equivalent of normal, real life. There is enough drama in the story itself to carry the drama to its conclusion without starting to drag, but drama doesn’t really have a big, hanky-waving, triumphant anthemic resolution.

The album as a whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. Typically, averaging my ratings on the individual tracks plays a large role in how I rate albums. Doing this produces a 2.8 average on the songs. But the album as whole draws you in in a way the songs don’t individually. Yet the songs weren’t supposed to draw you in individually–they were supposed to draw you in to the overall story. And that is exactly what they do. The project as a whole deserves at least 3 or 3.5 stars. But Bishop, Crossroads, and the other participants in the project deserve extra credit for their innovation in making the first major effort of this sort in our genre, and so I will give this project a 4-star rating.

Rating: ***1/2

Producer: E.T. Everett.

Song List: I’ll Tell it Wherever I Go; Consider the Lilies; His Hand in Mine; In the Garden; Little is Much; ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus; Jesus Loves Me; Rock of Ages; I’d Rather Have Jesus; Praise to the Lord.

Website: www.mattsministry.com

Available from: The artist

***

Before I get into the review itself, a word about my rating system. My involvement in the Southern Gospel Albums project has involved using the five-level star system there (ten-level if you count half-stars). I’ve decided to switch over to it on this blog to make interfacing with the SGA project a little easier.

Matt Throgmorton got introduced to Southern Gospel Music through singing with the Florida Melody Boys. He joined the group in 1996 and sang with them for several years. The group won Favorite Horizon Group in the 1998 Singing News Fan Awards and evidently disappeared shortly thereafter. Throgmorton now sings solo, as well as doing some trio dates with a regional Illinois-based trio named “One Voice.”

Throgmorton released his debut solo project recently. It consists of ten familiar Southern Gospel songs and hymns. Most of the songs are mid to slow tempo numbers, but the slow tracks are interspersed among the medium tempo tracks well enough that the project doesn’t really drag.

Highlights include strong renditions of “His Hand in Mine,” “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” and “His Hand in Mine.” Two highlights deserve special mention:

• “Little is Much” builds to the big ending that Signature Sound’s Ernie Haase and several Gaither Vocal Band tenors have been known to close the song with. Throgmorton builds it to a big finish without the assistance of massive production. He avoided the temptation (which sometimes even legends of Larry Ford’s caliber fall for) to key the song too high in the verses to have power left for the big ending.
• “Praise to the Lord,” the project’s closing song, is the project’s strongest track. It carves out new stylistic ground with an innovative, energetic arrangement. You can listen to a sound clip here.

Rarely do I come across a project by a soloist that I like enough to listen to repeatedly. This is one of those rare projects. It was a tossup whether I would rate it at 3 1/2 or 4. I selected 3 1/2,  but it is a strong 3 1/2; a project with original material this strong would easily get a 4-star or higher rating.

Southern Gospel solo projects, especially those of cover songs, often fill the gaps between groups in a singer’s career. My initial thought on hearing this project was that Throgmorton wouldn’t disappoint Greater Vision fans. (Of course, Jacob Kitson got that position…but that does leave an open spot in Tribute.) But while this project is good enough to convince me that Throgmorton would be a good find for a major group, it’s also good enough to stand on its own as an enjoyable collection of classics.

Several weeks ago, I reviewed the Diplomats Quartet’s most recent release, Live in West Virginia. This is a solo project from the most recognizable voice in the group, alto Rita Pearson. Pearson is often compared to Vestal Goodman; as I commented in the Diplomats review, Pearson’s voice captures the raw energy of Vestal Goodman’s younger days, while Libbi Stuffle of the Perrys–the other singer on the Southern Gospel scene most frequently compared to Goodman–captures more of the polish of Vestal in her later years.

Pearson’s energy and enthusiasm shine clearly on this project. It includes several classic Happy Goodmans numbers (”God Walks the Dark Hills,” “What Heaven Means to Me,” and “I Hold a Clear Title”) and several other Southern Gospel classics

The project’s highlights include “What Heaven Means to Me,” a laid-back rendition of “Where the Roses Never Fade,” and the song “Place Called Heaven.”

The rest of the group provides background vocals on the tracks, but does not have any solos. While the project covers little new ground stylistically or in song selection, it is a solid collection of songs performed well by Pearson and the Diplomats.

Available from: The Diplomats.

Rating: Enjoyable. (Updated to 5-star system: 3.5 stars)

Rating: Recommended. (Updated: 4 stars of 5)

Producer: Royce Mitchell & Doran Ritchey
Label: Liberty Quartet
Website: http://www.libertyquartet.com/
Song List: I’d Like to Say it Again; I Can See the Hand; The Eastern Gate; Still Feelin’ Fine; The Lighthouse; Everywhere I Go; Ride That Glory Train; I’ll Tell it Wherever I Go; There’s a Light at the End of the Darkness; Temporary Home; Bus Driver; Baritone Whine.

Typically, when a major Southern Gospel group releases a table project, most of their fans have heard the songs chosen many times before. But things are a little different here. Liberty Quartet’s schedule keeps them off the typical Southern Gospel circuit, and they are often the only Southern Gospel group that their fans know. So many of the people who purchase this project will be hearing these songs for the first time.

The project includes several Cathedrals songs, “I’d Like to Say It Again,” “I Can See the Hand,” “Ride That Glory Train,” and “Everywhere I Go.” There’s an interesting lyric change on the first line of the second verse on “I’d Like to Say it Again.” Where the Cathedrals’ rendition says, “There’s a healing balm in Gilead / It is the crimson flow,” Liberty’s rendition begins “There is healing through Jesus’ blood / It is the crimson flow.”

Of these Cathedrals covers, probably the highlight is the energetic cover of “Everywhere I Go.” The song, originally recorded on Live in Atlanta, is a classic example of a Cathedrals song that would have been better remembered if it hadn’t been overshadowed by some bona fide classics elsewhere on its project (”We Shall See Jesus” and “Movin’ Up to Gloryland”). Many east coast Southern Gospel fans who already have fifteen renditions of some of the other songs on this project will view this catchy rendition as the project’s standout track.

Probably the most recent song covered is the Booth Brothers’ “Still Feelin’ Fine.” This energetic rendition will undoubtedly delight live concert audiences.

One other highlight is “The Eastern Gate.” The rendition is somewhat similar to the Dove Brothers’ rendition, with the lead (Dan Gilbert) taking the first verse, the bass (Royce Mitchell) taking the second, and group harmonies on the third.

The project closes with two novelty songs. “Bus Driver” is written by and features Royce Mitchell, while “Baritone Whine” is written by and features Doran Ritchey.

This enjoyable collection of classic Southern Gospel songs will introduce these songs to a new audience, while having enough fresh arrangements and new songs to leave much for long-time Southern Gospel fans to enjoy.