Average Song Rating: 4.3 stars

Executive Producer: Mark Trammell. Associate Producer: Dustin Sweatman.

Song list: Leave Your Sorrows and Come Along; Mansion Over the Hilltop; Hold Me; John Saw Me; Standing On the Solid Rock; While Ages Roll; Sweetest Song I Know; Sin Will Take You Farther; In the Sweet Forever; Hide Thou Me.

* * *

After Joel Wood joined the Mark Trammell Trio earlier this year, there evidently wasn’t enough time to turn around a CD of new songs featuring the new lineup by NQC. So the group decided to put out its second CD of classic songs. (Their first, Journey Thus Far, introduced Dustin Sweatman in 2006.) Much like Journey This Far, Vintage Gospel includes a mix of hymns, classic convention songs, and songs Mark Trammell was known for other with other groups.

Mark Trammell reprises his rendition of his Cathedrals hit song “Sin Will Take You Farther.” He also performs a song that originally featured George Younce, “Hold On.”

Uptempo convention songs like “Leave Your Sorrows and Come Along” and “Sweetest Song I Know” reinforce something I’ve said before: The Mark Trammell Trio is the best quartet without a bass singer on the road today. Other trios, like the Booth Brothers, Voices Won, and the Bishops, have (or had) a sound that was so trio a bass singer just wouldn’t fit. But this group is a mega-quartet waiting to happen.

Joel Wood is featured on “Mansion Over the Hilltop” and “Hide Thou Me.” Particularly on “Mansion,” his voice tone is enough like Eric Phillips that a casual observer might hear the song and not even notice that there’s a new tenor. His voice doesn’t seem to be quite as high, and seems to have a more power-tenor mid-range (should the group choose to employ it). But he should have little problem with the group’s repertoire.

Dustin Sweatman keeps improving as a vocalist. This is most notable on the song “John Saw Me,” where he has an impressively smooth yet powerful solo.

It took a member change to prompt Journey This Far—one of the group’s best CDs to date. It took another member change to prompt this project. If this keeps up, the group might soon find their fans doing something incredibly odd: Hoping there will be a member change … so the group puts out another table project of this caliber!

But, truth be told, it would be far more sensible for the fans to do something that would work just as well: Purchase so many copies of this project that it doesn’t take a lineup change for them to put out the next one.

* * *

About two and a half years ago, Bill Gaither hosted two video tapings on consecutive days. One day was a hymns taping; three DVDs/CDs resulted (Rock of Ages, How Great Thou Art, and the Grammy®-nominated Amazing Grace). The other day featured a more familiar Homecoming mixture of new songs and classics. These resulted in two DVDs released this week, Nashville Homecoming and Joy in My Heart.

Let’s take a look at Nashville Homecoming.

• The Hallelujah Side. This is a nice up-tempo song to kick the project off. A trio of Charlotte Ritchie, Wesley Pritchard, and TaRanda Greene sing the first chorus and the second verse and chorus; Chris Freeman offers a soulful solo on the first verse.
• I Wish I Could Have Been There. Unlike most recent Homecoming tapings, where the artist could deliver the song either to a live audience or a semi-circle of artists which they could face while singing, this Homecoming setup places the audience of artists behind the singers, leaving the artists to play only to the cameras. Especially for artists new to the Homecoming video tapings (such as Perrys lead singer Joseph Habedank, featured on this song), this would only serve to compound the already jarring experience of singing to a sterile audience of high-definition cameras. So, perhaps understandably, Habedank started the first verse a little tentatively. But this wore off by the end of the first chorus, and the audience of artists stood for the encore. A second encore was called as the Perrys were walking off center stage; the video cuts away from this to a video of Bill Gaither talking with Duane Allen.
• Try a Little Kindness. This familiar song, featuring Tim Surrett, is a nice mid-tempo change of pace.
• I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now. Songwriter Mosie Lister had recently produced a project called Mosie’s Men, a project featuring about 50 male voices. He directs all the male voices in the Homecoming choir on this classic. The choir’s sound is so pleasant and distinctive that one wonders if this song’s success might spur Gaither to do more songs featuring just the male voices in the choir. Gene McDonald and Glenn Dustin are featured on the verses. McDonald is stellar (as always); Dustin’s solo is one of his career best. He has been a great bass vocalist from day one, but this song is one of several recent solos showing his growth as a singer.
• God is In the Shadows. This song is sung by a female trio of Kim, Brooklyn, and Courtney Collingsworth. Younger sister Courtney has the solo. 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).
• Over and Over. This song, sung by Jeff & Sheri Easter (featuring Jeff), is Charlotte Ritchie’s final Homecoming appearance as part of the group.
• I Don’t Regret a Mile. This song features Johnny Minick playing piano and singing the lead; Guy Penrod and Sheri Easter added the trio harmony parts. As the first verse finishes, the video and audio both transition to Howard Goodmans’ narration from the Happy Goodmans’ 50 Faithful Years video. As the final chorus fades back in, the cameras cut between the 50 Faithful Years rendition and the live taping, and the Homecoming Choir’s voices were mixed in with Howard and Vestal’s vocals.
• Child of the King. In another video montage, Mike Allen kicks the song off before the video cuts to an earlier version of the song by Brock Speer (from Moments to Remember). Tim Duncan sings the entire second verse. Halfway through the second chorus, the video fades back to Brock Speer, and the audio mixes the classic and current Homecoming choirs.
• I’m So Glad. Practically every Homecoming video has its soul Gospel moment, and fans of those moments will appreciate this solo by Jessy Dixon and Alicia Williamson. Williamson’s verse is particularly enjoyable.
• The Dearest Friend I Ever Had. The first verse of the song is a musical background to a video clip of Kelly Nelon Clark and Janet Paschal trading memories of their days with the Nelons. The second features the Homecoming Choir. (The complete song may be on the CD, which I do not have as of the time I write the review.)
• Feet on the Ground. This song features Dallas Holm. Though his roots in contemporary music are evident, the song selection fits the rest of the project well.
• Bill Gaither reminisces with Jimmy Blackwood about James Blackwood’s role in the first few videos.
• O Happy Day. This song features Lillie Knauls, who was in the Edwin Hawkins Singers when this song became a big contemporary hit. The Talley Trio sings backup vocals. The look of shock on Knauls’ face when the encore kicked off was priceless, but she recovered instantly and turned in a strong encore.
• Jonah, Job & Moses. This song, featuring the Oak Ridge Boys, is introduced by a clip of their lead singer, Duane Allen, reminiscing with Bill Gaither about the great voices in Southern Gospel music, past and present.
• I Just Came to Talk With You Lord. This was Dottie Rambo’s final Homecoming performance; a brief tribute before the song honored her memory…but no tribute could be better than seeing her singing one of her classics. Fortunately for history, Gaither had a chance to capture her in high definition before her passing.
• The Promise. The Martins, who have come back together for occasional tour dates, sang this song, from their final release (Above it All, 2003).
• Ain’t Gonna Give Up on God. This song featured Gordon Mote singing and playing organ.
• Meeting in the Air. After a few less traditional songs, Gaither nods to aficionados of classic quartets by including a Joshua Pope piano solo. Pope, now 16, was 14 at the time of the taping. He is as good a showman as he is a pianist, looking up and smiling at the (nonexistent) audience at appropriate points in the song.
• Strike Up the Band. Legacy Five sings the opening track from what was a current release at the time of the taping, Live at Music City.
• In the Upper Room. Larry Gatlin said that one of the greatest honors one songwriter can pay another is recording their song. He thanked the Gaither Vocal Band for giving them that honor when they cut “Heartbreak Ridge and New Hope Road,” and said they would return the honor by singing this early Gaither composition.
• Bill Gaither reminisces with Lily Weatherford about the classic recording In the Garden.
• The One I’m Dying For. This song is performed by the Isaacs, featuring Becky Isaacs Bowman.
• It Won’t Rain Always. Bill Gaither introduced Janet Paschal by asking her to give an update on her cancer. (The update is slightly jarring to someone who follows Southern Gospel headlines closely, with the videos being recorded over two years ago.) Backup vocals were provided by Sheri Easter and Charlotte Ritchie.
• Make it Real. Mark Lowry sings this classic Gaither Vocal Band song. (More thoughts later.)
• I Need Thee Every Hour. Bill Gaither leads the Homecoming choir in this classic hymn, as a segue from the thoughts in the closing chorus of “Make it Real.”
• Yaweh. The Hopper’s powerful rendition of this Paula Stefanovich classic-in-the-making helps bring the project to a strong close.
• Send it On Down. This song features solos from Reggie Smith and TaRanda Greene. In an odd coincidence of history, the DVD’s actual release date (this past Tuesday) was the same day TaRanda was in surgery, donating a kidney to her husband Tony.

The video ends with a brief tribute to Dottie Rambo.

The Gaither team’s cinematography is excellent, as always. Overall, the Homecoming video crews have handled the transition to widescreen seamlessly, though there are a few minor glitches (such as a close-up shot of Kim Hopper toward the beginning of “Yaweh” where the bottom half of Dean Hopper’s head is a little too prominently in the frame for a little too long). But overall, the video quality shines; one can only hope that a Blu-Ray release may be in the works.

A bonus feature includes Bill Gaither discussing alligator hunting with Joel Hemphill (complete with photos of Hemphill with successfully hunted alligators). Before any controversy starts, in all fairness to Gaither, it must be said that this was taped well over a year before there was any public controversy over Hemphill’s doctrinal views.

In a slightly odd editing choice—I say “slightly odd” because I don’t see any particular connection between the two—the Hemphill interview segment segued into a bonus track from the Lewis Family, “A Step Away.” Most Gaither videos have included bonus segments as separate menu options.

Though a few deserving groups got their first Homecoming solos, or their first in quite some time, probably the most noteworthy part of the lineup is what isn’t there. There is no song featuring the Gaither Vocal Band on the entire project. Now it’s not like Gaither is trying to erase the memory of that lineup—after all, the companion DVD, Joy in My Heart, features the Hampton/Penrod/Hall lineup singing “Bread Upon the Water.” Yet this video will still probably go down as an anomaly in the series. I don’t know if I can definitively say whether this is the only Homecoming video without a Gaither Vocal Band song. (Do any readers know of others?)

Interestingly, the closest the video comes to a GVB song is “Make it Real,” a song featuring Mark Lowry, with backup vocals by Guy Penrod and Marshall Hampton Hall.

The taping that produced these two DVDs, and the Hymns DVDs, was the first Homecoming taping in four or five years featuring a fairly full, 150 to 200-voice choir. That makes these the first two DVDs of new songs taped in the classic format in a number of years—in fact, since legends like George Younce, Jake Hess, James Blackwood, and Vestal Goodman were still in the Homecoming Choir.

It’s not quite the same. It’s a little different—as it would have to be. But it’s quite good in its own way. There is really no other product out there (except maybe the NQC Live projects) that comes anywhere near to providing as broad a taste of the best Southern Gospel has to offer, in high-definition video and audio quality. Nobody knows how much longer we will have Bill Gaither preserving these moments for us. But it’s a privilege more or less unique to our genre—one it’s worth recognizing for the blessing it is while we still have it.

Members: Mike Franklin (tenor), Jonathan Sawrie (lead), Jeremy Raines (baritone), Gerald Williams (bass).

Song List: Give the World a Smile; God is Great, Good, and Merciful; How Great Thou Art; Sing Me A Song About Jesus; Somewhere Someday; Pray; Faith in My Savior; Gonna Get My Sins Forgiven; Dying to Know You; You Must Have that True Religion; UFO; Listen; Over the Moon; Settled In the Promised Land.

Available From: Artist.

* * *

This project was originally recorded about ten years ago and was first released on VHS. This project, since reissued on DVD, is worth revisiting for a number of reasons. One of them, obviously, is the project’s historical significance to the group, marking the group’s 50-year milestone since Smiling Joe Roper took over management of what at the time was a Stamps-Baxter group and renamed it the Melody Boys. That year, 16-year-old bass singer Gerald Williams joined the group as its bass singer.

Another reason is that the lineup that recorded this project—tenor Mike Franklin, lead/pianist Jonathan Sawrie, baritone Jeremy Raines, and bass Gerald Williams—is frequently named as the group’s best lineup.

Though the DVD was clearly recorded in and transferred from an analog format, the visual production value on the original product is quite solid. There are a number of camera angles for wide shots and closeups. (The credits seem to indicate there were four steady cameras and one roving camera.) All the shots, even the audience shots, are well-lit.

One artifact of the VHS-to-DVD conversion is that the project is not split into song-by-song chapters. Perhaps this could be rectified if the project goes into further pressings.

The program alternated between piano-only accompaniment, songs with soundtracks, and acapella numbers.

Interviews with current and former Melody Boys members are interspersed with the songs. A clip from Rex Parnell highlighting his favorite Joe Roper song as “Somewhere Someday” introduced the current lineup’s rendition of the song. Gerald Williams introduces “Pray” by explaining how challenging it was for the original group to learn. Several other previous and (then) current members introduce songs and share highlights from their Melody Boys years.

Toward the end of the project, a number of past Melody Boys came on stage and sang a half-dozen songs. This footage, plus the interviews with (then) current and past members, makes the project worth the purchase price for this if for no other reason.

This project is a worthwhile addition to the library of any fan of classic male quartet singing.

Average Song Rating: 4.3 stars (of 5)

Members: Billy Hodges (tenor), Arthur Rice (lead), Steve French (baritone), Jeff Chapman (bass), Andy Stringfield (piano), Kreis French (baritone), Dennis Murphy (drums).

Song List: On the Gloryland Way; Biblically Correct; He Locked the Gates; Help Me Lord; Fire Away; Turnin’ Loose; As Good as I Can Be; Steppin’ On the Stars; When the Story of My Life is Told; Jesus Showed Up; When You Look at Me; The Empty Tomb Says it All.

Available From: Label, Artist.

* * *

Music critics in other genres such as Contemporary Christian music rate albums on how much a group has changed or grown since their previous project. But in Southern Gospel, in most cases (outside of progressive SG), that’s not what the fans want. Besides, in Southern Gospel, you’re frequently hearing mature performers on their 39th project, not teens on their third. The Kingdom Heirs know what their fans want, and that’s exactly what they give them.

Rodney Griffin contributed “He Locked the Gates,” a barn-burner convention song in the tradition of “I Know I’m Going There,” another Griffin tune the group cut in 2004. This should be a concert favorite, and was the obvious pick to be the project’s first single.

Joseph Habedank and Matthew Holt contributed “Turning Loose,” a mid-tempo number that fits the Kingdom Heirs’ style well.

The project’s closing tune, “The Empty Tomb Says it All,” was penned by Daryl Petersheim. The song became known through winning the Singing News songwriters’ contest a year or two back.

As in previous projects, the Kingdom Heirs draw heavily from the pen of Dianne Wilkinson. She wrote or co-wrote the other nine tracks on the project. The two co-writes were “Biblically Correct” (with co-writer Rusty Golden) and “Steppin’ On the Stars” (with co-writer Niles Borop). Both songs utilize modern harmonies well suited for the groups’ sound.

One other Wilkinson contribution particularly worth mentioning is “Fire Away,” an uptempo composition featuring Billy Hodges. The first line of the chorus brings to mind Brian Free & Assurance’s “Pray, Daniel, Pray.” This could be a concert favorite or even a strong radio single.

David Bruce Murray described When You Look at Me aptly: “The songs on this CD seem familiar right away, even though the lyrics are new.” There is little stylistically to differentiate this from previous Kingdom Heirs projects, so if you loved their previous projects, you should love this one.

Average Song Rating: 4.4 stars (of 5)

Members: Libbi Perry Stuffle (alto), Joseph Habedank (lead), Troy Peach (baritone), Tracy Stuffle (bass), Bryan Elliott (pianist).

Song List: This Old Sinner Testifies; If You Knew Him; An Old Fashioned Altar; Almost Morning; I Love to Tell; The One Who is Unworthy; Dying is a Day; Prior to a Prayer; You Cannot Improve On the Truth; Did I Mention.

Available From: Artist.

* * *

The Perrys released their last studio project, Look No Further, roughly two years ago. It was one of their career best projects, and produced a string of radio hits and concert favorites for the group. Frequently, in Southern Gospel, when a group hits on a formula that works that well, they stick with what they know works, choosing a similar mixture of fast songs and ballads and a similar arrangement style for their following recordings.

The Perrys show that they aren’t content to rest on their laurels—with Almost Morning, they branch out to experiment with new styles. They bring in Cajun influences for “Old Fashioned Altar,” swing for “You Cannot Improve on the Truth,”* and progressive for a new Joseph Habedank / Matthew Holt composition, “Dying is a Day.” (*Hat tip to Wes Burke on that one, since I’m unfamiliar with swing.)

The Perrys don’t stray too far from their roots, though; most of the other songs on the project are arranged in styles that would have fit quite well on their earlier projects. “One Who is Unworthy,” a new Rodney Griffin song, features Libbi Stuffle; its arrangement brings to mind “Mary For a While.” Libbi Stuffle’s power alto rendition of “Did I Mention” brings a song like “Holy Shore” to mind, even though “Did I Mention” is somewhat less orchestrated. And with “I Love to Tell,” the Perrys maintain their tradition of including a classic convention style song on each project.

Probably the biggest news with this project is Joseph Habedank’s growth both as a songwriter and vocalist. When he initially moved from the baritone to the lead role, a number of Perrys fans questioned whether Tracy and Libbi had put him in shoes bigger than he could fill. With every year and every project since, he’s improved as a vocalist. This is particularly well illustrated on two of his feature songs on the project, “Almost Morning” (a song he co-wrote with former Perrys pianist Matthew Holt), and “If You Knew Him” (a song he co-wrote with Rodney Griffin). On “Almost Morning,” his soft, tender vocals fit the gentle ballad, while on “If You Knew Him,” he carries a power lead on the project’s standout big ballad.

Almost Morning covers enough new ground for the Perrys to win them some new fans, but it retains enough familiar styles to keep their previous fans along for the ride.

]]> http://www.southerngospelblog.com/archives/2742/feed 10 http://www.southerngospelblog.com/archives/2576 http://www.southerngospelblog.com/archives/2576#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:00:49 +0000 Daniel J. Mount http://www.southerngospelblog.com/?p=2576 Rating: 4.5 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Song List: Love Was in the Room; Sail On; He Came to Me; Oh What a Happy Day; I’m the Lamb; I Have an Anchor; Up There, Somewhere; Tradin’ the Old Cross; This is My Valley; Feeling Fine.

Available From: Artist.

* * *

Over the years, the Booth Brothers have recorded quite a few songs that have found places in listeners’ hearts. 09 brings back some of the best of these, songs they have recorded in the past, but hadn’t performed for years. The album also throws in several new songs and classics they had not previously staged.

1. Love Was in the Room. The Booth Brothers originally recorded this song on their 1998 recording Will You Love Jesus More. The song, penned by Mosie Lister and Ken Bible, is a unique look at the Resurrection.
2. Sail On. The Booth Brothers prove that this Imperials classic can be done without a bass…and, even more impressively, without the bass’s absence sticking out like a sore thumb.
3. He Come to Me. This midtempo song is penned by Squire Parsons and sounded vaguely familiar. After doing some checking around, I found out that I’d heard it on Greater Vision and the Specks did it in a medley on their Celebration at First Baptist Atlanta video. The Kingdom Heirs also recorded it on Series 1 (2005), and the Hoppers recorded a song by the same name on their 1981 project Home is Where the Heart Is. The song is, however, new to the Booth Brothers’ repertoire.
4. Oh What a Happy Day. A convention-style piano intro to the song leads the listener to think the track will be arranged the way the song is usually sung, as a traditional quartet number. That impression lasts until the synthesizers and brass kick in, for one of the project’s more progressive and uptempo numbers.
5. I’m the Lamb. This song is familiar to any longtime Booth Brothers fan; they recorded it on their 1996 Praise God Anyhow project. It’s definitely a song worth bringing back.
6. I Have an Anchor. This is a new uptempo song, penned by Jim Brady. The soundtrack is brass-driven.
7. Up There Somewhere. This slow ballad features tenor Michael Booth; it was originally recorded on their 1996 project One of His Own.
8. Tradin’ the Old Cross. If you thought you knew this song from the Collingsworth Family’s rendition (God is Faithful, 2005), think again. The Booth Brothers completely redefine the song as a progressive track, with a driving uptempo arrangement. The song lends itself surprisingly well to both interpretations.
9. This is My Valley. This Dottie Rambo song features tenor Michael Booth.
10. Feeling Fine. The Booth Brothers recorded this Mosie Lister classic on Beyond the Cross (1999). They recorded its sequel, “Still Feelin’ Fine,” on This Stage of Grace (2001). They revisit the original to close out this project.

While two or three of the tracks are more progressive than fans of traditional styles would care for, the project blends traditional and progressive styles seamlessly enough that no song seems out of place. Between the song selection, the vocal arrangements, and the production standards, this project is good enough that it’s easy to forget it is a table project.

Average Song Rating: 4.0 stars (of 5)

Song List: Amazing You; Holy of Holies; I See a Mountain; I Quit; Tired of Running; Worth It; He Got Up; Yesterday’s News; He Got Up; I’m Over What’s Under the Blood.

Available From: Label, Artist.

* * *

Shawn and Tim Dill began singing with their parents at age seven; today’s version of the group is based in Jackson, Tennessee and features Shawn and Tim with their wives, LeeAnn and Bridget Dill. The Dill’s sound is fairly progressive, but is still traditional enough that fans of more traditional mixed groups can appreciate it.

The Story of a Lifetime has high vocal and production quality, but its strongest point is probably its song selection. The Dills were able to find a number of songs that better known groups would (or at least should) jump at the chance to record. (In fact, it’s already happened, if the title track of Brian Free & Assurance’s new project, Worth It, is the same song.)

The project has several excellent uptempo songs, including “Tired of Running” and “He Got Up,” both penned by Joseph Habedank and Matthew Holt.

“I Quit” and “Worth It” are both lyrically powerful mid-tempo songs. The orchestration doesn’t really build with either to the point where they would be termed a big ballad. Both songs are what I would term “message songs”—songs where the lyric is so catching that it’s what you remember, even if you forget the tune.

“Holy of Holies” is the project’s strongest big ballad. It was penned by Geron Davis in 1989, but is (to my knowledge) new to Southern Gospel. It is a good fit for genre and the group, and word is it’s under consideration for a radio single.

One other notable cover is song “Yesterday’s News.” Originally penned in 1998 and recorded by Truth, it is also survives its transpant to Southern Gospel well.

This project should go a long way toward establishing the Dills as a group worth watching.

Average Song Rating: 4.2 stars (of 5)

Song List: Disc 1: I’m Feeling Fine; Joy; Vessel of Mercy; I Found Grace; The Prettiest Flowers; Strong in the Strength; That’s What Grace is For; Out of My Darkness; Jericho Road; I Know that I Know; What a Friend; Steppin’ Out on the Water; Why Wouldn’t I. Disc 2: I’m Feeling Fine; Joy; Vessel of Mercy; I Found Grace; The Prettiest Flowers; Strong in the Strength; That’s What Grace is For; Out of My Darkness; Jericho Road; Steppin’ Out on the Water.

Available From: Artist.

* * *

To commemorate their tenth anniversary, Legacy Five has gone a whole level above the typical compilation. They re-cut ten of their best-loved songs, with new tracks and vocals, and three new songs.

The song selection focuses on songs from their first few years, perhaps because it helps to have a couple years of perspective to come up with a fresh arrangement. There are four songs from their incredibly strong 1999 debut (Strong in the Strength), one from Heritage Vol. 1, (2000), two from their 2003 Daywind debut (London), and one each from Heritage Vol. 3 (2004), Monuments (2004), and A Little Taste of Heaven (2005).

Overall, the arrangements aren’t all that different from the original. “Joy” has a less orchestrated feel (it does still have orchestration, though more understated), and “Steppin’ Out on the Water” has a somewhat simpler feel, without the prominent saxophone that distinguished the original rendition.

The three new songs are all well selected. “What A Friend” has a fairly slow tempo, but the harmonies are nicely arranged. “I Know that I Know” was cut by the Mark Trammell Trio on Always Have a Song late last year; Legacy Five proves that it makes an excellent quartet song. “Why Wouldn’t I?” was written by Liberty Quartet pianist Doran Ritchey, and originally cut on Liberty’s Amazed (2008, reviewed here). Though the constant cymbals through the chorus are a little distracting, “Why Wouldn’t I?” is a great fit for Scott Fowler’s voice and style.

Showcasing Legacy Five’s current lineup on new arrangements of some of their best songs is an excellent way to commemorate this ten-year milestone.

• Daniel J. Mount (www.SouthernGospelBlog.com)
• Wes Burke (Burke’s Brainwork)
• Aaron Swain (Swain’s Musings)

1. Amazed at the Change
Aaron: The album with a slightly slow, country-style tune. Sounds like something out of The Kingdom Heirs’ songbook. Nice way to open up the project.

2. Keep Me
Wes: This is a nice midtempo song with a slightly progressive edge to it.  The harmonies are nice and smooth, and they do a really good job of using some unison lines and verses to keep the song musically interesting.  This is a really nice cut.

Aaron: This song utilizes some great progressive harmonies to drive it. The group would do well to release this to radio soon.

3. Broken But Blessed
Daniel: This song, featuring tenor Keith Waggoner, is musically subdued but lyrically powerful. It was co-written by Twila LeBar and Sue C. Smith, two of the best but least recognized songwriters in Southern Gospel. (LeBar is co-writer of songs like “Orphans of God” and “The Great I Am Still Is”; Sue C. Smith has co-written songs like “But For the Blood,” “He Forgets,” “Forgave Me Saved Me Raised Me,” and “Realms of Glory Bright.”)

Wes: Keith does a great job on this song.  He’s not the highest tenor you are going to hear, but he has a very pleasing voice and does a great job interpreting this song.  There’s nothing really flashy here, as Daniel alluded to, but just some solid singing on a nice tune.

Daniel: Keith actually does have a few high notes in him. But he’s said in the past (here) that one thing the group stresses is that none of the vocalists push the limits of their range—that they only record and stage what they can consistently produce.

Aaron: That’s an interesting tidbit, Daniel. That shows me that these guys care about putting out quality music and preserving their voices.
The project’s first truly slow song is a good song. Just straight-forward singing, no vocal showboating.

4. Just Stand
Wes: Midtempo number featuring bass singer Royce Mitchell.  This sounds a lot like something you’d hear from the Kingdom Heirs.  Actually, there are several songs on this disc that sound a lot like KH tunes.  Since the KH are one of the most solid quartets around, that’s a good thing. This is a very enjoyable tune.

Daniel: Royce has had professional voice training and often utilizes an operatic voice. On this song, he drops the vibrato. I’d agree with Wes’s observation that this gives the song a Kingdom Heirs feel.

Aaron: Like the other guys have said, this does sound like a KH song, but I also find that it recalls the song “God’s Still Good” from Gold City’s Revival project. Mitchell displays a nice lower range here.

5. Into the Water
Daniel: This uptempo song is a nice change of pace from a string of slower ballads. If Liberty singles an uptempo song, this is probably the most radio-friendly uptempo song on the CD.

Wes: There is some nice smooth harmony on this song.  These guys know how to sing and how to blend.

6. Call It What it Is
Daniel: This song has a distinctive enough lyric and melody to be unique—but at the same time, it is unmistakably a Southern Gospel big ballad. This song should stand out and do well if singled. I received the CD about a week ago and (rare for me) the song is already on my top 50 most played list on iTunes (out of 11,000+ songs).

Aaron: Awesome song. Lead singer Dan Gilbert has a sound to his voice that sounds like Bryan Hutson, and it works very well for this track. Great choice for a single.

Daniel: Interesting comparision. I hadn’t thought of comparing Gilbert to Hutson—I’d been thinking along the lines of a comparison to Phil Cross or even Arthur Rice.

Wes: I actually don’t hear any of the 3 comparisons.  I think Gilbert has a sound all his own.  That doesn’t detract from the fact that this is one of the strongest songs on the disc.  Nice smooth harmonies on this number.  I really like this song.

7. Music at Midnight
Wes: Nice uptempo number.  This song sounds like the group was going after the type of sound that was found on Gold City’s “If God Be For Us” with strings and brass behind the more traditional SG instrumentation, including some nice banjo/guitar interplay on the instrumental break.  This song doesn’t quite measure up to Gold City’s gem, but it is still very enjoyable, and kudos on the arrangement.

8. He’s Been There Too
Daniel: Liberty Quartet bass singer Royce Mitchell is featured on this song. It’s somewhat unusual to give a bass singer a solo on a big ballad, but Mitchell is equally adept at singing straight-ahead low bass and almost operatic higher bass, and he showcases his operatic bass/baritone range to great effect here.

Aaron: As a first-time listener of Liberty Quartet, one would be hard-pressed to believe that the featured singer here is the same guy that was rocking the low end of the spectrum a couple of tracks back. But it is indeed Royce Mitchell, and like Daniel said, his bass/baritone range sounds great here.

Wes: This is a nice ballad, and Mitchell really shows some nice range.

9. Why Wouldn’t I
Aaron: Lead singer Dan Gilbert is a two-fold singer; on slower songs, he sounds like Bryan Hutson. But give him a hard-driving faster song like this and you have a young Arthur Rice. This is a good, country-style track.

Daniel: I didn’t notice earlier that you were about to get to the same comparison I had in mind!

Wes: This is a nice, solid uptempo track.  Nothing flashy, but just good solid singing.

10. He Will Quiet You

Wes: This is a nice, soft, tender ballad.  I like the echo harmonies on the first part of the chorus up against the unison echoes on the last part of the chorus.  The round like harmonies on the bridge are very nice as well, and something to set this song apart.

11. That’s What Love Does
Daniel: This song was written by baritone/pianist Doran Ritchey. The group pulls off some tight jazz harmonies with confidence.

Wes: I’m a sucker for jazz influenced songs, and these guys pull it off very well.  They have a really smooth sound, and this is one of my favorites.  The soft swing beat gets your foot tapping and your head bobbing.

Summaries:
Daniel: This is one of the strongest independently released projects I’ve heard this year. A label would really do well to pick this group up as soon as they can.

Aaron: I can’t say much more than Daniel has. It’s about time that this group gets the national recognition they deserve and get picked up by a major label. Of course, with Crossroads signing groups like nobody’s business these days, it may not be long!

Wes: These guys are one of the best kept secrets in Southern Gospel music.  These guys are solid at every position in the group and have a good concept of their strengths as vocalists.  They play to their respective strengths and don’t try to be something they are not.  They’ve done a good job of including a variety of styles on this project as well.  Somebody needs to pick these guys up on a major label, and soon!

RATINGS:

Daniel: Average song rating – 4.0. Overall rating: 4.5.
Aaron: Average song rating – 4 stars. Overall rating: 4.5 stars.
Wes: Average song rating – 4 stars.  Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Rating: 4.5 (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4.45 (of 5)

Song List: Holy Ghost Wind; Blame It On Love; Jesus Saves; Pathway Built For Two; Ten Thousand Years; Ready To Leave; On My Journey Home; Mama Was Praying For Me; He’s Worthy; It Is Well With My Soul; Jerusalem..

Available from: Artist.

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Live projects typically fall into one of two categories. Either the artist sings all their hits (or all the songs off their current project, if they come out with a video per year), or they debut all or mostly all new songs. It’s a little hard to pin down which category North America Live falls into.

The project has several new songs (”Blame it on Love,” “Pathway Built for Two.”) It also has a number of songs new to the Hoppers (”Ready to Leave,” “Ten Thousand Years,” “It is Well.”)

But the project also includes a number of the Hopper’s long-time favorites—”Jesus Saves,” “On My Journey Home,” and, as a closer, “Jerusalem.” So it’s not exactly a project of new songs or a project of classics.

Though it might be hard to categorize, it’s an excellent project. The mixture of soundtracks and (evidently) a live band works well. Unlike most live projects, which are recorded entirely in one night, the Hoppers recorded a half-dozen different concerts in the United States and Canada in July and August and selected the takes that came out the best.

If the Hoppers had managed to find eleven new songs this strong, the project would have definitely been five-star quality. As it is, though, it comes pretty close.