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Dave's Top Eight
1. Jerry Reed...Revisited by Darrell Toney (reviewed 6/07) (5 Stars) Click title to purchase at CBD.com...click artist name to read Dave's Review. A CD will automatically fall out of the Top Eight after twelve months if no CD surpasses it before then.
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Most Recent Articles
Why blog? (Three years and counting)
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-----------December 29, 2005My music on .mp3I only know of one person who has actually listened to the two piano clips I posted recently, but I thought I would post a couple more anyway in case there's some artists out there who'd like to get in a shot about how critics are just people who wish they could play. It's actually true. Click HERE to hear me playing a relatively familiar gospel song slow one time thru, and then at the end I play it again in my uptempo, "Wally Varner wannabee" mode. I really do wish I could play like Wally, but this is as close as I can get. Click HERE to hear me just jamming on a generic chord progression. This is pretty much how I play if I'm accompanying a mid-tempo Southern Gospel song. I can get a little stride thing going at times. Labels: audio December 27, 2005CD Review: Shane Dunlap - Paradise RATING: 4 1/2 STARSProducer: self-produced Website: www.shanedunlap.com Song Titles: "Take Me To Paradise," "Better Than This," "Journey Of A Lifetime," "Satisfied," "The Light Of That City," "More (Of Jesus)," "Shine," "Almost Time To Fly," "Ten Thousand Angels," "I Don't Deserve To Be Treated Like This," "Should've Been Lovin' You," "There Is A Fountain," and "The Reunion" Shane Dunlap, former lead singer for Signature Sound Quartet and 10-year member of N'Harmony, has released his second solo project since launching out on his own as a soloist. Titled Paradise, the recording looks to be a full blown, major label release. It's actually an independent venture produced by Dunlap himself and recorded at four different studios using tracks both new and previously recorded. Excellent art design by Holligraphics and photography by Jacquelyn Marie make for a sharp looking package that should grab your attention in the music store bins. If you're like me, though, you're less concerned about how a product looks and more concerned about how it sounds. Dunlap has a strong and expressive lead singer's voice. He has surrounded his voice on Paradise with excellent musicians and background vocalists that include the Melody Masters Quartet's Scott Whitener and 3 For 1's Holly Blanton. "Take Me To Paradise" kicks off the project with an island sound. The song was co-written by Dunlap and Rebecca Peck. "Better Than This" is a remake of a song written and recorded originally by Rocketown recording artist Ronnie Freeman. It is followed by "Journey Of A Lifetime," another track co-written by Dunlap and Peck. This track is one of the more energetic tracks on the CD with a choir in the background and some Hammond B3 organ giving it a traditional Black Gospel feel. "Satisfied" is another Ronnie Freeman remake. Ironically, both Freeman tracks covered by Dunlap were singled out as being "less-desirable" by Christianity Today reviewer Andy Argyrakis when he reported on Freeman's recording in 2002. I personally think both songs are well written. On the other hand, it is risky to cover too many songs by the same artist on the same recording. Fortunately, Dunlap goes to other sources for the rest of his cover songs. He turns in a great performance of "The Light Of That City," originally released by Allen Asbury in 2002. Then he goes "way back" in time (at least for younger fans) to 1984 for a cover of "More (Of Jesus)." Dunlap's version matches Mylon LeFevre's original almost note for note...even down to the tempo and finger picking patterns on the guitar. "Shine" is another Dunlap/Peck original with good potential to be a single. "Almost Time To Fly" is up next. See my review HERE where I say this song is my favorite cut on 3 For 1's CD titled Shine Where You Live. If you've heard 3 For 1's version, Dunlap's will sound remarkably similar. It's the same music track and includes 3 For 1's background vocals. It's the only track on the CD that sounds distinctively Southern Gospel from a musical perspective, although I believe most of the selections have enough quality to get the attention of most SG DJs. Other cuts on Paradise include the classic gospel standard "Ten Thousand Angels," a Dunlap original co-written with Marty Funderburk called "I Don't Deserve To Be Treated Like This," a cover of "Should've Been Lovin' You" (recorded first by Jonathan Pierce on Sanctuary in 1999), and a laid back track featuring a flute in the accompaniment called "There Is A Fountain" (not the hymn). The final selection is a narrated number called "The Reunion" about meeting loved ones in Heaven. This track is effectively orchestrated by Milton Smith. Paradise is an extremely well made project by Shane Dunlap. Scott Barnett deserves a mention for his mixing and mastering as well, especially considering the diverse sound sources and various recording locations that were used to make Paradise. Stylistically, the CD tends to sit somewhere between Southern Gospel and Inspirational formats. The recording is a bit cover heavy for my personal tastes, but you get your money's worth with 13 tracks maxing out at a whopping 52 minutes. Paradise not only looks like a full blown label backed release as I mentioned at the outset of this review, it also sounds like one. Labels: CD Review CD Review: Greater Vision - My Favorite Place RATING: 4 STARS Label: Daywind Producer: Lari Goss Website: www.greatervisionmusic.com Song Titles: "Everyone, Everywhere, Everytime," "My Favorite Place," "All Is Well," "The Voice I Could Not Resist," "Far More," "God's Got A Bigger Thing Going On," "We Are So Blessed," "I Will Glorify The Lord," "Paid In Full (Through Jesus, Amen)," "Heaven's Hero" (featuring "Champion Of Love")," and "Your Story" Greater Vision follows their tried and true formula on My Favorite Place. All the elements you'd expect are here. Songs written by Rodney Griffin and classy three-part male harmony are underscored (literally) by an internationally renowned orchestra. This time around, the group chose Lari Goss to produce their their tracks and arrange the orchestrations. The orchestral accompaniment is provided by the Czech Republic based Prague Symphony Orchestra, which traces its roots back to 1934. Other players on the project include well known session musicians David Johnson, Steve Brewster, and Craig Nelson, with Goss playing all the keyboard parts himself. With a couple of exceptions, My Favorite Place is made up of new songs written by Griffin (who wrote or co-wrote nine tracks) and Phil Cross (who hand a hand in three, including two collaborations with Griffin). The exceptions are the Gaither classic "We Are So Blessed" and a song by Joe Diquattro titled "I Will Glorify The Lord." The most notable track by Cross on this project is "Heaven's Hero," which quotes a chorus from Gerald Wolfe's signature song "Champion Of Love" (also written by Cross). Griffin shines both as songwriter and singer on an expressive ballad titled "The Voice I Could Not Resist." Griffin's excellent writing on "God's Got A Better Thing Going On" and "Paid In Full" also deserves to be mentioned. A mouth harp and the subtle touch of Goss on the organ makes the former stand out while a banjo on "Paid In Full" adds a musical element that isn't found on the other tracks. Other highlights on My Favorite Place include the mid-tempo "All Is Well," which is accessible even for amateur vocalists. It would be a great addition to a hymnbook of modern gospel songs. I was also impressed by the opening track "Everyone, Everywhere, Everytime." It's an easy going song with a timeless sound showcasing the orchestra. The cover of "We Are So Blessed" sits well alongside other classic songs Greater Vision has covered in the past like "Redemption Draweth Nigh" and "It Is Well." Greater Vision has another solid recording with My Favorite Place. Looking at their output from the last six or seven years, Far Beyond This Place, Perfect Candidate, and Quartets remain the very best this group has offered. Other recordings in that same time span including their Atlanta live recording, the CD being reviewed here, and 2004's Faces sit just a notch or so under those three. The guys do a great job vocally on My Favorite Place and the production of Lari Goss gives this CD a great sound. I do feel like Griffin should have retained two or three songs for Greater Vision that he instead allowed other artists to introduce over the past year, though. For example, imagine My Favorite Place minus a couple of the less memorable tracks plus the ear-grabbing "Don't Let The Sandals Fool Ya" (Triumphant Quartet) and the extremely well written "More Than You'll Ever Know" (Mark Trammell Trio). Assuming the production and performance value matched the rest of this CD, that would easily be a five-star project. Labels: CD Review December 20, 2005Eva Mae LeFevre Biography LeFevre, Eva Mae Whittington (1917 - ) Eva Mae Whittington was married to Urias LeFevre in 1934. They formed the Lefevre Trio along with Urias’ brother Alphus and frequently performed at revivals where Eva Mae’s father, Rev. H. L. Whittington was preaching. The LeFevres were the first full time gospel group to be based in Atlanta, GA. Eva Mae was forced to manage the group a few years while Alphus and Urias left to fight in World War II. After the war, Eva Mae and Urias had five children. As Eva Mae’s children grew older, they began to join the group on the road. Pierce played trumpet and sang. Meurice and Andrea played saxophone and trombone. Mylon sang and is the credited writer of the song “Without Him.” With Eva Mae’s popularity as a pianist and emcee, the LeFevres became part of a television show called the Gospel Singing Caravan. The Caravan also toured together. Later Jerry Goff, who was married to Andrea Lefevre at the time, produced The LeFevre Family Show for television. Eva Mae was the last LeFevre to sing with the group. She left the road in 1977. By that point, Rex Nelon was managing the group and his daughter Kelly was a group member as well, so Nelon decided to change the name to the Rex Nelon Singers. Eva Mae has continued to appear at various reunion functions such as the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion and the Gaither Video Series. She was inducted into the SGMA Hall Of Fame in 1997. Labels: biography December 17, 2005My Music on .mp3Click HERE for another track I dashed off a few days ago on my new electric keyboard. This is a very familiar hymn, but some people I've played this arrangement for in the past have said it's difficult to recognize. I can see why, because I changed the chord progression considerably from the hymn book version. I believe it becomes obvious when you concentrate on the melody, though. By the way, I played this in the key of F#/Gb (6 sharps/flats). Why? Because I can. :o) Labels: audio December 15, 2005Singing News Gets A Face Lift...Maybe
Although I've heard no official word that the look of the Singing News cover will be changing, they are asking you to vote at www.singingnews.com on five designs. Covering all the bases, though, they've included the existing design as option #2. I'm sure the majority of the voters will vote to keep it the same, given their track record on the polls that Singing News conducts.
-----------I'm partial to options #1 and #3. I ended up voting for #1. Option #4 isn't all that bad. I think the all lower case thing has had it's fifteen minutes of fame, though, so my least favorite is option #5. December 13, 2005My Music on .mp3Click HERE for a recording of me playing in a style similar to Jim Brickman. I don't know if any of my readers care for this style of piano playing or not, but if you do, feel free to download, share, etc. (I wrote the song, and the rights are mine to give it away if I so choose.) I call this one "Wednesday Recitation." It's one part of a trio of piano instrumentals I've written in this style...collectively called my "Wednesday Suite." This is a rough/scratch version. One day I may eventually get around to recording the whole thing "perfect." Also, feel free to "critique the critic" by leaving a comment. I can dish it out, but I can also take it. Labels: audio December 12, 2005Wanna Trade?
I'm deviating from my stated purpose again. This post is useful, but not necessarily informative. It has nothing to do with Southern Gospel music.
-----------The highly publicized execution of Tookie Williams taking place later tonight has caused a popular question to come out again in public debate. There are two versions of this question...the liberal and the conservative. Liberal Version: "How can you favor the death penalty while opposing abortion?" Conservative Version: "How can you favor abortion while opposing the death penalty?" Everyone who knows me knows I'm a conservative, but I'm not even going to attempt to answer either question. However, I'd like to make a proposal. Wanna trade? Although I'm a political conservative who strongly believes a convicted murderer should pay the ultimate penalty for his/her crimes once the appeal process is completely exhausted (and is disgusted when that process takes 25 years to complete), I would gladly be willing to surrender the death penalty if liberals would surrender on abortion. These are two hot topics that we'll never agree on, but is there room for compromise? Think about it...convicted murderers would be sentenced to life with no parole rather than going to death row while in exchange, babies would get to experience life beyond the womb. If you listen to the "squeaky wheels," it seems like the conservatives hate abortion more than they love the death penalty and the liberals hate the death penalty more than they love abortion. The question is would anyone on either side be willing to make that trade? With all due respect to the families of victims of capital crimes, I'd take that trade in a heartbeat. Make that one conservative who favors a compromise that links these two highly controversial topics. December 5, 2005Irony In Christian Perspectives On Movies LINK Click on the link above to visit the movie section of www.christiananswers.net. Most sites of this type strike me as being overly hypocritical. These Christian movie critics see all types of movies so they can inform you precisely why Christians shouldn't be watching movies. This site is no exception, but the irony doesn't slap you in the face quite as often. I'm actually favorably impressed by the original content on the site. To find extreme examples of irony here, I had to look at the comments made by some of the people who have visited the site. A couple of those really stood out to me. One 26-year-old woman says she took her six children (count 'em...that's SIX kids) ranging in age from six MONTHS to six YEARS to see March Of The Penguins. She was disgusted to find it was a documentary rather than a cute movie about penguins. First of all, what idiot parent takes their highly impressionable small children to a movie without researching it first? (HINT: All G rated movies aren't aimed at kids.) Secondly, what idiot thinks it's appropriate to take a baby (or in this case, babies plural) to ANY movie? She further confuses us by saying it wasn't her choice to take her herd along. Who is making this woman's choices on her behalf? In a similar vein, another man said he took his son to see Harry Potter. As a result, the boy became demon possessed by acting out the fantasy of trying to ride a broom and ultimately breaking both his legs after jumping off a roof. Now the child doesn't want to go to church. Of course, the father himself is in no way responsible for his son's behavior. This movie and demons are to blame for his lack of authority. Visit the site and see what you think. It's pretty informative about movies from a Christian viewpoint even if you aren't like me...looking for irony wherever I can find it. :o) Labels: Movies December 3, 2005Mark Lowry's New CD The news that broke a couple of weeks ago regarding Mark Lowry being diagnosed with a slow moving form of Multiple Sclerosis over-shadowed another bit of news he made the same day in his Rambling Remarks newsletter. Lowry has a new CD that will be releasing in a couple of months. The project will be titled Be The Miracle, and the release date is scheduled for January 31, 2006.
Samples of the tracks from the new CD are available HERE. Song titles include "Be The Miracle," "Give It Time," "God Calls Us All," "God Is Crazy About You," "Jump Across Jordan," "Out Of His Care," "What Kind of King?," "Whatcha Need," "Carry Me" (by Sonya and Becky Isaacs)," "Sweetest Song," and "Going Home." The content of Be The Miracle will be in a vein similar to Some Things Never Change...mostly serious with a few uptempo songs thrown in for contrast. While this appears to be an all music recording...no spoken comedy or parodies...one song has a decidely humorous flavor ("God Is Crazy About You"). Musically, this CD ranges from Southern Gospel ("Sweetest Song"), to Country ("Watcha Need" and "Give It Time"), to Inspirational ("What Kind Of King"). I look forward to hearing the completed CD, and I thought you, my readers, might just enjoy a sneak peak. 
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