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My journey with Liberty Quartet started several years ago, when I started hearing good things about them from a number of west coast friends (particularly John S. in California and Elysse B. in Idaho). At the time, I chalked up the rave reviews to local pride. So when I met them at NQC 2007, and they gave me a copy of their hymns CD,I politely thanked them, and promptly put it in my stack of CDs to review . . . at the very bottom. It ended up being December 2007 before I got to that CD—and promptly gave it a five-star review (here).

But no matter their talent level (or if they are full time), it’s not easy for a group that is literally off the beaten path to attract top-notch songs from top-notch songwriters. Between producer Phil Cross and then-baritone/pianist Doran Ritchey, they managed to come up with a number of strong songs on each project, but not enough to equal that five-star rating.

Until now.

The Journey proves that creative and progressive don’t have to be synonyms in the Southern Gospel thesaurus. Instead of relying on soundtracks to create a fresh sound, Liberty does it with their vocal arrangements. When was the last time you heard someone put a fresh spin on “He Came Down to My Level?”

The project starts out with the title track, easily one of its most memorable songs. The song is kicked off by an “almost exotic” drum solo (hat tip, Aaron Swain), before piano and orchestra kick in to carry this uptempo track along.

Nine of the twelve tracks are new songs. Besides “He Came Down to My Level,” the other two classic tracks are “Till There Was Jesus” by W. Elmo Mercer and “Welcome to Heaven” by Phil Cross & Carolyn Cross English. The latter track is a straight-ahead big ballad featuring lead singer Dan Gilbert that isn’t remarkably different from the Singing Americans original. But in this case the old adage “if it ain’t broken don’t fix it” applies, and it should be a concert favorite for the group.

For a second straight recording, Liberty Quartet and a major east coast group both simultaneously cut a Rodney Griffin song. With Amazed and Triumphant Quartet’s Everyday, it was “Amazed at the Change.” For this project, Liberty and Tribute Quartet both cut “I Love Living In Grace.”

Former Liberty Quartet baritone / pianist Doran Ritchey was still a part of the group during the recording process; he contributed five of the project’s songs and did a guest solo on “The Welcome.” He has since left to be a part of Phil Cross’ musical endeavors (including the group “Crossing”), but hopefully he will continue to send some of his best tunes to Liberty.

This project introduces new Liberty Quartet baritone Jordan Cragun (who, as has been mentioned before, is Kim Collingsworths’ nephew). He is featured on “I Made it Mine” and “In the Day of the Lord.”

Keith Waggoner unfortunately only had one solo, on “He Came to Me.” Bass and manager Royce Mitchell is featured on three, “He Came Down to My Level,” “Till There Was Jesus,” and “Too Long.”

Lyrics are included in the CD booklet. One would think this would be default in a lyric-driven genre, but unfortunately, it’s not, so it’s worthy of mention.

This project easily earns Liberty Quartet another 5-star rating—their second on this site, and first for a recording of new songs.

Rather than just write about it, though, I have received permission from the group to feature several tracks in the flash player for the month. So , for the remainder of this month, enjoy “The Journey,” “In The Day of Our Lord” (featuring Jordan Cragun), “God Made a Way” (featuring Dan Gilbert), and “Till There was Jesus” (featuring Royce Mitchell).

Rating: 5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4.33 stars. ♦ Group members: Keith Waggoner (tenor), Dan Gilbert (lead), Jordan Cragun (baritone), Royce Mitchell (bass). ♦ Produced by: Doran Ritchey, Phil Cross, Roger Talley. ♦ Available from: Group. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: The Journey; He Came Down To My Level; I Made it Mine; I Love Living in Grace; Till There Was Jesus; God Made a Way; He Came to Me; The Welcome; Too Long; He’ll Come Through; In the Day of the Lord; Welcome to Heaven.

When I interviewed Phil Collingsworth for this site’s April feature article, he explained why the Collingsworth Family only releases a project every other year:

It might be interesting for you to know that our cost of recording an album is almost triple what some of the other ones are. That’s what we put into it, because we put time into it, and time is money when you’re in the recording studio. We put a great deal of time into it because we want it to be a lasting product—something you listen to years down the road and say, “That’s still good quality.” We feel quality rather than quantity is the key issue here.

This attention to quality has paid off, since each of their projects has been a noticeable step up from the previous. Strength for the Journey (2003) was good enough to launch them into the national Southern Gospel scene. God Is Faithful (2005) was good enough to launch them onto the Gaither Homecoming scene. We Still Believe (2007) was a project worthy of a Gaither Homecoming tour artist. And, somehow, The Answer is even better.

Like every other Collingsworth project, The Answer includes a wide variety of vocal and instrumental configurations. Spreading six or seven configurations between fourteen songs—and that’s not even counting things like a Phil/Kim duet on a verse of “Oh the Thought that Jesus Loves Me”—gives the album the same variety their live programs feature.

The most noticeable change is a decreased reliance on the soprano/alto/baritone trio. In their earlier years on the road, many of their vocal songs featured Phil and Kim with their oldest daughter, Brooklyn, probably since she would have been the only child able to hold a part by herself. As the other siblings become capable vocalists in their own right, they have increasing liberty to reserve this lineup for the songs that it best fits. Only three songs use this configuration: “Jesus is Still the Answer,” the old Lanny Wolfe Trio classic, which has been getting a strong response at live concerts, a new Kyla Rowland/Dianne Wilkinson-penned ballad called “Within the Reach of a Prayer,” and a rare composition by Phil Collingsworth himself, “Bottom of the Barrel.” The latter track is the project’s first radio single.

Two other trios are featured. A trio of the Collingsworth teens (at the time of the recording; Brooklyn has since turned twenty) sings “Count Your Blessings Again.” It’s a new song penned by Daryl Williams and the project’s producer, Wayne Haun; it is also one of two tracks with a more progressive arrangement than they have used on past projects. The other, “I Shall Not Be Moved,” is the same song that Palmetto State recorded in 2006 on When it Pours, God Reigns. But the song is so completely reinvented that you’d have to compare the songs back to back to be fully convinced that it’s the same song.

Of all the various vocal configurations, the female trio of Brooklyn, Courtney, and Kim has the most unique and distinctive sound. It was the only lineup other than the entire family to be featured in the Collingsworth Family’s first appearance at a Gaither taping. During the two-day taping that produced Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Rock of Ages, Nashville Homecoming, and Joy in My Heart, the entire family sang “May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You” and the ladies’ trio saing “God is in the Shadows.” Of that latter appearance, I said:

. . . Of all the vocal configurations the Collingsworth Family uses in any given concert, this female trio is possibly their best and certainly their most distinctive. The Collingsworth ladies are Southern Gospel’s female Booth Brothers. They match their enunciation and vocal placement more precisely than any other group in the genre (besides, perhaps, the Booth Brothers, the Isaacs, and Voices Won).

This lineup is featured on two of the projects’ best songs, “Fear Not Tomorrow” and “Ever Gentle, Ever Sweet.” The latter song is the same mid-tempo song that the Bill Gaither Trio recorded in 1974 on Because He Lives. But despite the (well-deserved) legendary status of the Bill Gaither Trio, their version can’t touch the simple beauty of this one.

With “Fear Not Tomorrow,” the ladies’ trio proves its abilities are not restricted to mid-tempo numbers. I saw the Collingsworth Family the weekend after their project came out (review here), and though this was the first time that the audience ever heard this power ballad, it brought down the house with one of the biggest responses of the night.

A new vocal configuration appears for the first time on this project: Phil, Kim, Brooklyn, and Courtney sing the project’s closing track, “More than Anything.” This quartet would be a strong default configuration for the group; adding Courtney to the mix gives the mixed quartet a much fuller, warmer tone than the mixed trio has.

Though the original plan for the project called for no instrumentals, evidently plans changed before the project was complete. Phil does a trumpet solo on “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder,” while Kim is featured with a piano solo on “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

There are two other songs that the review wouldn’t be complete without a mention. “I Want a Principle Within” is a magnificent, sweeping rendition of a Charles Wesley hymn largely forgotten except in some holiness circles. The hymn deserved to be brought back, and this rendition does justice to the strength of the lyric and grandeur of the melody.

Since words fail me when discussing “Oh, the Thought that Jesus Loves Me,” I’ll resort to statistics. About the time I started this site, I switched from Windows Media Player to iTunes. Since I don’t re-set play counts, my automatically generated top 200 list tracks each time a song has been played for the last three or four years. After just a month of having this CD, “Oh, the Thought that Jesus Loves Me” is at #6 out of 19,319 tracks. It’s that good.

In closing, a few words need to be said about where this album positions the Collingsworth Family. In addition to a strong assortment of new songs, the project has three hymns (one vocal, two instrumental), several familiar Southern Gospel selections, and two or three songs from Inspirational music. Specifically, that latter group of songs is “Jesus is Still the Answer” (Lanny Wolfe Trio), “I Want Jesus More than Anything” (Truth), and depending on if you count the Bill Gaither Trio (which, historically speaking, you should), “Ever Gentle Ever Sweet.”

The audience of aging music fans that loved Inspirational music back in the 1970s is a largely untapped market right now. Contemporary Christian music long since passed them by, and though many have some familiarity with the Gaither television specials, many more have no idea that anything like the style they used to love can now be found again. The Answer fuses the best of both genres in a way that, if properly marketed, will win many new fans.

Rating: 5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4.3 stars. ♦ Group members: Phil, Kim, Brooklyn, Courtney, Phil Jr., and Olivia Collingsworth. ♦ Produced by: Wayne Haun. ♦ Available from: Label, Artist. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: I Shall Not Be Moved; Fear Not Tomorrow; I Could Never Praise Him Enough; When the Roll is Called Up Yonder; I Want a Principle Within; I Know; Ever Gentle Ever Sweet; Jesus is Still the Answer; Count Your Blessings Again; Within the Reach of a Prayer; Oh the Thought that Jesus Loves Me; Bottom of the Barrel; Great is Thy Faithfulness; More Than Anything.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5)

Average song rating: 4.5 stars (of 5)

Song List: Missing People; Someday; They Went to Pray; Mountain of Grace; When It’s All Said and Done; Cheer the Weary Traveler; God Saw a Cross; He Picks Up a Beggar on the Way; God Knows; He is the Only One; Reprise – Someday.

Members: Harold Reed (tenor), Phillip Hughes (lead), Bryan Hutson (baritone), Ray Dean Reese (bass), Cody McVey (pianist), Brandon Reese (sound engineer).

Available from: Label.

* * *

The Kingsmen’s last release, When God Ran (2008), picked up quite a bit of positive buzz, even earning a 5-star review here. It was the first project with new tenor Harold Reed and returning baritone/lead Bryan Hutson; it was also their first post-band release. But even with all the factors I could enumerate that made the project different, there was one factor that I couldn’t quite put my finger on that made all the difference.

With Missing People, that factor is a little more obvious.

First off, the basics: Missing People has a street date of September 15, but the digital download is available for purchase on Crossroads’ site now. The same vocal lineup featured on the previous project returns for this one. Pianist Cody McVey appears for the first time, but that doesn’t make much difference in the group’s sound, since groups typically use studio musicians to cut soundtracks.

The project has one nod to the past, a lively cut of the convention song “Cheer the Weary Traveler.” But—as on When God Ran—the highlight is the new material. “When It’s All Said and Done” (penned by Dustin Sweatman and Scotty Inman) and “Someday” (by Woody Wright) are strong quartet songs that should go over well in live concerts. “Mountain of Grace” (Dianne Wilkinson) and “God Saw A Cross” (Rodney Griffin) are big ballads with powerful lyrics.

The title track, “Missing People,” has some similarities to the 1997 Kingsmen song “Missing Children” (on Shelter). Both start with first verses about the loss of family and loved ones on earth. But while the earlier song, “Missing Children,” takes the idea down a Good Shepherd / evangelistic path, “Missing People” contrasts losses here on earth with the lack of loss in Heaven. (One minor side note. I hate to be nitpicky on grammar, since I’m far from perfect myself, but on the first line of the chorus, the singular “There’s”—there is—doesn’t match the plural “people.” It really should either be “There’s no missing person up in Heaven” or “There’re no missing people up in Heaven.”)

So what sets these two projects apart from the last few years of the Kingsmen discography?

Since getting the rights to the Kingsmen back a few years ago, the current lineups have been constantly compared to decades of strong recordings from one of Southern Gospel’s most popular groups. So they did their best to capture that classic Kingsmen big-and-live sound.

They really didn’t do all that badly. After all, pretty much every project from 2004’s The Past is Past picked up a few reviews that said “with this project, the Kingsmen are finally back.” But the aptly named The Past is Past was just a few years prescient.

Today’s Kingsmen have recognized that even if they can come closer than anyone else, they can never quite be the 1979 Kingsmen. So while their sound and arrangements still frequently bring to mind the classic Kingsmen sound, this lineup has found its own niche. When God Ran and Missing People show a Kingsmen lineup comfortable in their own shoes.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5)

Members: Michael Booth (tenor); Ronnie Booth (lead); Jim Brady (baritone)

Song List: Tell Me the Story of Jesus; I’m Going Back; Tears Are a Language; This Love is Mine; The Eyes of Jesus; Welcome to the Family; I Would; Look For Me at Jesus’ Feet; Still Feelin’ Fine (with Greater Vision); He Saw it All; The One That I Love; Secret Place; Haven of Rest.

* * *

Perhaps because the cost of producing a live concert video can be in the tens of thousands of dollars, increasing numbers of groups are choosing to film their live projects at the National Quartet Convention. It’s not like this is a bad thing; though live NQC footage from several years ago frequently had noticeable technical flaws, these have been ironed out, and Louisville Live and similar titles have high visual and audio production quality.

Through NQC 2007, the INSP channel filmed the event live with a five or six camera crew; starting with NQC 2008 (last year), the Gospel Music Channel has been providing live video and recording the concerts for future airing.

Louisville Live has thirteen songs from the Booth Brothers’ three mainstage sets. The editing between songs was smooth enough that it’s not immediately evident where the cuts between different sets took place.

Unlike a number of groups which make live videos a showcase of every single song from their latest recording, the Booth Brothers make Louisville Live more a taste of what a live Booth Brothers concert would sound like. They mix songs from their main-label projects with songs from their table projects, and songs with full soundtracks with songs with a lighter piano-only accompaniment. (Southern Gospel piano soloist Roy Webb provided live piano accompaniment.)

The Booth Brothers are so good at what they do that it’s hard to isolate highlights. A slow song like “The Eyes of Jesus” is as much a high point as “Welcome to the Family”—and, in fact, “The Eyes of Jesus” got one of the strongest responses of the songs on the lineup. Greater Vision joining the Booth Brothers for “Still Feeling Fine” is a welcome addition to what one might find on a typical non-NQC live DVD.

There are a number of bonus features: A clip of highlights from the 2008 Singing News Fan Awards, a behind-the-scenes look at the Booth Brothers’ NQC week, and a video product pitch.

The Booth Brothers chose a strong assortment of songs to highlight, and there are no detracting audio or video flaws. So there’s really no reason not to give this project five stars.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5)

Song List: Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee; A Mighty Fortress Is Our God / I Sing the Mighty Power of God; Old Rugged Cross; Old Time Religion / William Tell Overture; Come Thou Fount / There is a Fountain; Amazing Grace; Just As I Am; He Keeps Me Singing; Blessed Assurance; It is Well With My Soul.

Available From: Label, Artist.

* * *

It has been nearly two years since Roy Webb left Signature Sound. (He left in May 2007.) He has since performed both solo concerts and select dates with the Booth Brothers, the Ball Brothers, and the Hoppers. But from a recording standpoint, he has kept a fairly low profile till this project. His last major project, You Raise Me Up, was released while he was still with Signature Sound. (I reviewed it in April 2007, here.)

The announcement that he’d signed with Song Garden came out a number of months ago. (It was by March, but I forget the exact date.) Webb didn’t rush to get a project out the door, though; he spent months working on his debut major-label project, Timeless. He brought in master craftsman Lari Goss to produce the project. Goss’s touch is especially evident on the big ballads like “Amazing Grace,” “It is Well,” and “Old Time Religion / William Tell Overture.” (The latter is an arrangement Goss originally wrote for Anthony Burger. Webb makes the arrangement his own in what is possibly the project’s strongest performance.)

Most of the songs are fully orchestrated, and those that aren’t are placed at strategic points within the song list. “Old Rugged Cross” provides a meditative slow point before the fast-paced “Old Time Religion / William Tell Overture,” and “Just As I Am” provides a similar “selah” moment after the majestic crescendos of “Amazing Grace” and before the swing-influenced “He Keeps Me Singing.” (Side note: The swing influence is highlighted to interesting effect. The background vocals at several points actually say “keeps me swinging as I go.” I didn’t notice that the first time through the CD, but once I did, I had to listen to those phrases a number of times to be sure my ears weren’t playing tricks on me.)

I’m giving this five stars. There’s just no reason not to. Even though I personally prefer vocal projects, my criteria for a 5-star project is taking a CD I know is good (I had already been planning to give this 4.5 stars) and asking, “Is there any way in which this particular artist could have released a better CD?” And, as the final notes of “It is Well” faded, I decided the answer was no. There’s not a flaw on this project. It is an impressive piece of art.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4.5 stars (of 5)

Members: Julie Hudson (soprano), Penny Greene (alto), Stan Hill (tenor), Dave Emery (bass / guitar), Joe Rotton (bass guitar).

Song List: Keep Travelin’ On; He Wrote My Name; Keep the Fire Burning in the Camp; Light at the River; I’d Rather Have Jesus; Homecoming Day; I’m Telling the World About His Love; Singing As I Go; I Never Shall Forget the Day; We’re Gonna Rise Up (And Meet Him in the Air); My Dream Home in Glory; O Come Angel Band.

Available From: Label, Artist.

* * *

Keep Travelin’ On is the Chuck Wagon Gang’s first studio release in several years. In fact, it had been long enough since they’d released a CD with their label, Song Garden Music Group, that at one point I mistakenly assumed they had left the label.

This project includes familiar CWG classics, several convention-style songs previously recorded but new to the group, and a number of new songs. Two particularly notable tracks are new songs from the pen of Rebecca Peck, “Singing as I Go” and “Keep Travelin’ On.” The latter is the project’s title track and first single. Both are such good fits for the group’s style that a casual listener, recognizing many of the project’s other songs as classics, would assume these were also old-school classics.

Other particularly notable arrangements include alto Penny Greene’s feature on “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” tenor Stan Hill’s feature on “Oh Come Angel Band,” and Greene’s feature on “We’re Gonna Rise Up and Meet Him in the Air,” a CWG classic penned by late group patriarch Roy “Dad” Carter.

Alto Shaye Seward came off the road two or three years ago and was replaced by current alto Penny Greene. Though she remains active with the group behind the scenes, since her departure from the touring group, there have been no children or grandchildren of the original members in group. But this lineup captures the group’s distinctive sound no well that it leaves no doubt that they are the Chuck Wagon Gang, not just some tribute lineup carrying on the heritage. In fact, with a project of this caliber, they add to the heritage.

I don’t give out 5-star ratings often. I write somewhere around fifty CD/DVD reviews per year, and since I typically give out five or fewer 5-star ratings, some might wonder why I give this project 5 stars and another project with more complex arrangements and vocals (say, the latest Perrys or Kingdom Heirs releases) 4 or 4.5 stars.

Here is why: When I rate a project, I consider this question: What would a perfect [group name] recording sound like? Groups anchored by a star performer can experiment with different styles so long as the familiar voices are featured, but the Chuck Wagon Gang is anchored by a specific style. Add a 64-piece orchestra, a complex MIDI drum loop, or a heavy synthesizer, and it just isn’t the Chuck Wagon Gang. This project gets five stars because the group took the stylistic parameters that define a Chuck Wagon Gang project and worked within those guidelines to make the best recording the group has released in years.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5)

Average song rating: 4.4 stars (of 5)

Song List: Jesus Built This Church on Love; Everyday; Somebody Died For Me; Amazed at the Change; Do You Know that You Know?; When the Trumpet Sounds; One Drop of Blood; God’s Home; What a Wonderful Day; The Day of the Lord.

Available From: Artist.

* * *

Triumphant Quartet has kept the same lineup and same style long enough that they don’t have to be concerned about whether their fans will like their new releases. This gives them a freedom in song selection and placement on a CD that groups introducing a new member or more progressive style don’t have; while such groups frequently start a CD with its strongest or second-strongest song, Triumphant Quartet doesn’t have to do that. On Everyday, the project’s four strongest songs are all in the second half of the project. It’s not that the project really has a single weak song; I rate every song on this project a four or five of five stars, something I rarely do even with my highest rated CDs of a given year. On Everyday, Triumphant is able to start with strong songs but build with stronger songs to an impressive finish.

The project starts with two covers, “Jesus Built This Church on Love” (Hemphills) and “Everyday” (Oak Ridge Boys). “Somebody Died for Me” is a ballad with a patriotic /miltary hook.

“Amazed at the Change” was penned by Rodney Griffin, and originally pitched to the group for their previous project. When they didn’t record it on that project, he pitched it to other groups; it was picked up by Liberty Quartet as the title track for their most recent project, Amazed (reviewed here). Then, when Triumphant was selecting songs for this project, they returned to this song and picked it up. The renditions are fairly similar; Liberty Quartet’s rendition has a more easy swing feel, while Triumphant’s has a slightly more produced feel, with some nice harmony arrangements on the final chorus.

“Do You Know that You Know” is songwriter / baritone Scotty Inman’s contribution to the project. This makes this the third “Know” song Daywind artists have released in the past 7 or 8 months, following “I Know that I Know,” cut originally by the Mark Trammell Trio and then Legacy Five, and Greater Vision’s “I Want You to Know That You Know.” Triumphant had already cut tracks for this song before they heard the other group’s cuts; however, it might not have been a bad idea for Daywind execs to suggest that the group held it till their next project.

It has nothing to do with the quality of the song—it’s a great song, and I disagree with David Bruce Murray’s description of the song as repetitive. Yes, the title is repeated twice at the end of the chorus, but that doesn’t make it any more repetitive than, say, “The Blind Man Saw it All.”

The second half of the project is filled with excellent songs. David Sutton is featured on a cover of the Joe Moscheo tune “What a Wonderful Day.”  And there are a trio of songs that really should get sent to radio: Wayne Haun’s “When the Trumpet Sounds” is a great uptempo song that really should get sent to radio. The same can be said for two other songs on the project, “One Drop of Blood,” a ballad penned by Jerry Goff that features bass singer Eric Bennett, and the project’s closing song, “The Day of Our Lord,” a ballad penned by Paula Stefanovich (author of “Jerusalem,” “Yaweh,” and “Gospel to the World”) that moves along in a fairly uptempo 6/8 time.

“The Day of the Lord” has one recording oddity I haven’t quite figured out. At least the Daywind pre-release I got has a series of fairly loud beeps (eleven, to be precise) at the end of the bridge, before the transition to the clip from “The King is Coming.” Does anyone know if these made it into the final release, and if they were intentional?

The longer Triumphant can maintain this lineup, and level of song selection and production quality, the more of a lasting mark they will make on this genre. The groups that have the strongest following decades later – the groups from the 60s and 70s that people are still talking about – are the groups that pulled this off.

Rating: 5 stars (0f 5)

Song List: “Welcome to the Family” (Booth Brothers); “Let the Rocks Keep Silent” (Atlanta First Baptist Choir & Orchestra); “Safe on the Glory Side” (Mark Trammell Trio); “His Life For Mine” (Talley Trio); “I Will Stand” (Tommy Mosely); “Praying Man” (Brian Free & Assurance); “The Lighthouse” (Ronnie Hinson); “Let Me Be a Rock” (The Dartts); “You Were Working For Me” (Mark Bishop); “Amazing Grace” (Mallory Ledford); “Grace Will Always Be Greater Than Sin” (Hoppers); “Hey Jonah” (Triumphant Quartet); “It Pays to Pray” (Greater Vision); “He Looked Beyond My Fault” (Pfeifers); “The Sweetest Words” (Hemphills); “There’s a Miracle in Me” (Greenes); “The Rose” (Inspirations); “Behold the Lamb” (Phil Cross & Crossing); “Ten Thousand Years” (Jim Brady); “Where No One Stands Alone” (The Crist Family); “Holy Shore” (Perrys).

Some say that nobody can sing a song like the person who wrote it.

That’s not precisely true, since sometimes a great singer has lived through and understands the life circumstances that led to a song’s writing and can sing it with the same passion.

On Song of a Lifetime, you get to experience both. A number of great singer/songwriters introduce and perform one of their best songs, while a number of non-performing songwriters introduce one of their hits before the group that popularized it performs it.

Many of the songs on this project are fairly recent hits, but there are also a number of classic songs and songwriters recognized. Mosie Lister introduces his classic song “Where No One Stands Alone,” before the Crist Family sings it. Ronnie Hinson introduces and sings “The Lighthouse.” The Pfeifers pay tribute to Dottie Rambo with a rendition of “He Looked Beyond My Fault,” and Jim Brady honors Elmer Cole with a rendition of “Ten Thousand Years.”

Worthy of special mention is 12-year-old Mallory Ledford’s rendition of “Amazing Grace.” This was the only song included in the program not written within the last 60 or 70 years. Ledford delivers an impressive rendition; though not as perfect as will be possible after her voice matures, it takes a special sort of confidence for a child to sing in front of a few thousand people solo and acapella.

The songwriter’s comments range from brief introductions to in-depth emotional stories behind the songs. Perhaps the two most memorable stories were Rodney Griffin’s intro to “It Pays to Pray” and Phil Cross’s conversation with an audience member about how “Miracle in Me” had actually saved a life.

Some attendees of the NQC showcase where this was taped expressed some concern that it seemed disjointed at points. Knowing that heading into the review, the editors of the DVD version deserve high praise for taking their source material and coming out with a DVD that flows well and has few if any awkward transitions between introductions and songs.

This type of gathering, with most of the top songwriters gathered to tell the stories behind their songs, and most of the top groups gathered to sing them, is the sort of thing that is only possible at NQC. I was going to conclude by saying that this was one of the best Southern Gospel videos I’ve seen that was taped at NQC, but it doesn’t really nead that last qualifier. This is a top-notch video, period.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5) (both volumes)

Available from: Basically everywhere.

Song list: Volume 1: He Came Down To My Level; Your First Day In Heaven; New Wine; Rumormill; Can’t Stop Talking About Him; A Few Good Men; Born Again; Satisfied; I Bowed On My Knees; He Touched Me; Heartbreak Ridge And New Hope Road; Knowing You’ll Be There; Home, Where I Belong; No Other Name But Jesus; There Is A River; Gentle Shepherd; Let Freedom Ring; Loving God, Loving Each Other.

Volume 2: Passin’ The Faith Along; Temporary Home; Dream On; I’ll Meet You In The Morning; The Really Big News; Home; Build An Ark; O Love That Will Not Let Me Go; When The Rains Come; The Love Of God; New Point Of View; Give Up; When I Cry; I Walked Today Where Jesus Walks; Find Us Faithful; I’m Free; Make It Real; Mary, Did You Know?; Oh! What A Time.

* * *

Ever since Wes Hampton broke the story last summer that the Gaither Vocal Band alumni would be getting together to record a reunion video, this project has been one of the most anticipated Gaither releases in years.

It does not disappoint.

Some of the greatest vocal talent—not only in Christian music, but in music period—has gone through the Vocal Band over the last (nearly) three decades. These videos offer both an opportunity to hear voices together that haven’t harmonized for decades, and to hear some of these same vocal powerhouses in entirely new configurations.

The highlights are too many to list. At least every other song was greeted with a standing ovation, and it wasn’t just the performers being polite to one another. It was just that good.

Steve Green shines, both in a quartet setting for the first time in years and in one of his big ’80s hits, “Find us Faithful.” Wes Hampton’s delight at just being there, let alone getting the chance to perform with his vocal heroes, is contagious enough that it would be hard for the viewer not to catch a taste of the moment. The personal testimonies, especially when Michael English expressed that he thought he would never again have the chance to sing in a quartet setting again, are touching.

The cinematography is excellent. Though Gaither has used widescreen for several of his videos, this is the first one where it is more a plus than a minus. It is used to greatest effect in the close-ups, where, for example, the singer with the solo can be framed off-center but looking towards the center of the frame. The minus of widescreen closeups is where a singer goes for a high note and ducks out of the frame—but these awkward moments were far fewer than in earlier projects. For the most part, action shots were framed with an appropriately wide zoom.

The only thing that could have made this video any better would have been more of the same. Specifically, it would have been nice to see another song (each) featuring Steve Green, Wes Hampton, and Marsh Hall. And one concept Gaither did touch on—different Vocal Band iterations singing different verses of a song—would have been fascinating to have seen more fully developed. Suppose, for example, on “Passin’ the Faith Along,” the original Gaither Vocal Band sang one verse, and the (then) current Vocal Band, which redid the song in 2004, took the second verse. (It would have been nice to have the two missing members, Terry Franklin and Jonathan Pierce, present, but the talent level of the remaining members in the room was so high that their presence isn’t conspicuous.) But with two DVDs / CDs, thirty-seven songs (plus two bonus tracks), and four hours of music, even mentioning more of the same sounds a little silly.

This project is good enough that it’s hardly surprising that yesterday’s headline (literally) is that the video debuted at #1 on the Billboard Music Videos chart and (in a double first for the group) the two volumes of the CD not only hit #1 and #2 but debuted in the top two spots.

Gaither has done some good video projects in his day, but this will easily go down as one of the best. Or, just maybe, the best.

CD Rating: 5 (of 5)

DVD Rating: 4.5 (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4.4 (of 5)

Producer: None credited.

Song List: If Jesus is There; So Many Reasons; Up to the House of Prayer; New Born Feeling; I’ll Be Ready to Go With Him; How Big is God; Introductions; Just a Little While; Until You Find the Lord; On the Other Side of Jordan; Miracles Will Happen On That Day; Walk With Me; I’m Gonna Move to the Sky; The Last Mile of the Way; Little Is Much; Welcome Home, My Child; Ole Brother Noah; I’m Longing For Home; I Won’t Have to Worry; Not In a Million Years; Hallelujah Square.

Available from: Artist.

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Pensacola Live is the Dixie Echoes’ first live concert recording in the last ten years or so. (Though they did release two episodes of their “Keep on Singing” TV show on DVD in 2006, their last live concert video was released in 1999, and their last live tape was in 1998.)

This DVD/CD has twenty songs and one introductions track. Emcee Randy Shelnut limits talking, both jokes and song introductions, and even does several sets of songs back to back without any commentary.

The group sings most of the songs from their most recent two projects, as well as several from earlier projects. The group’s current sugar sticks are all present—Pat Barker’s “How Big is God,” Randy Shelnut’s “Little is Much,” Stewart Varnado’s piano solo “Just a Little While,” and lots of uptempo convention songs.

There are no glaring flaws on the DVD. I rated it at 4.5 instead of 5 stars because of the lighting, which was inconsistent enough that there is a noticeable difference between the wide shots and the closeups, and between shots from different camera angles. But lighting is one of the most difficult things to get right in a live program, where you only have once chance to capture the action, and the lighting here is as good as or better than the average in our genre.

Virtually no Southern Gospel studio CD captures what the group is live. While the Dixie Echoes do produce good studio recordings, that adage holds true here. This is the group’s first live recording since they switched over to a mostly or all-classic songs program roughly ten years ago, and it is probably their best release in the decade.