Dave's Top Eight

1. Jerry Reed...Revisited by Darrell Toney (reviewed 6/07) (5 Stars)
2. Sounds Like Sunday by Janet Paschal (reviewed 5/07) (5 Stars)
3. True To The Call by Kingdom Heirs (reviewed 3/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
4. Revival by Gold City (reviewed 10/06) (4 1/2 Stars)
5. Get Away Jordan by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (reviewed 2/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
6. Breakin' Chains by Three Bridges (reviewed 5/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
7. Big Sky by The Isaacs (reviewed 4/07)
8. Skywriting by Mercy's Well (reviewed 7/07)

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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February 11, 2006

DVD Review: Live From Toronto (Gaither)

RATING: 4 1/2 Stars

Label: Gaither Music Group
Producer: Bill Gaither
Website: www.gaither.com

Song Titles: "Bread Upon The Water," "Some Things Never Change," "Just A Little While," "Why Don't You Try Jesus," "You're My Best Friend," "When I Get Carried Away," "Jerusalem," "Favorite Song Of All," "Testify," "He Saw It All," "Sheltered In The Arms Of God," "Trumpet Of Jesus," "Walk With Me Lord," "Shout To The Lord/Rhapsody In Blue," "Great Is Thy Reward/Orange Blossom Special," "Healer In The House," "Glory To God In The Highest," "This Could Be The Dawning Of That Day/Until Then," " Sanctuary," "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go," "Why Me," and "I Bowed On My Knees"
DVD Bonus Songs: "Back Home Again" and "What A Lovely Name"

I have one complaint that applies equally to Live From Toronto and Canadian Homecoming, so my opening paragraph for both reviews is identical. By way of background, these DVDs are the first Gaither releases to be shot using High-Definition cameras. When an HD camera is in focus, the sharpness and detail are outstanding. Unfortunately for these DVDs, quite a few shots are noticeably out of focus. It's difficult to tell whether this is due to poor editing choices or a lack of competance in the camera crew. If you find this sort of problem distracting, prepared to be distracted for the duration of your viewing experience. If not, bump my rating of each video up a half star, because that's how much I cut them for having this problem.

Otherwise, the Live From Toronto DVD is the best Gaither video viewing experience I've had in several years. The song selection on this DVD is terrific and the setting at Toronto's Air Canada Center is exciting. Although the Homecoming Tour has been giving performances to sellout crowds in large arenas for the last ten years and the Homecoming Friends have been selling video titles in record numbers since 1991, Live From Toronto and Canadian Homecoming are actually the first videos Gaither has made in such a setting. The stage is shaped like a huge doughnut with a depression in the center where the piano and other instruments are located.

Live From Toronto begins with "Bread Upon The Water," featuring the Gaither Vocal Band. Guy Penrod gets a big cheer when he comes in on the second half of the first verse. Mark Lowry is on hand to sing ("Some Things Never Change") and banter with Bill Gaither at a few spots later in the video. After Penrod is featured on "Just A Little While," Jeff and a very pregnant Sheri Easter perform an abbreviated version of "Why Don't You Try Jesus" followed by "You're My Best Friend." Ivan Parker is up next to sing "When I Get Carried Away," followed by the Hoppers singing "Jerusalem." That's just the first thirty minutes.

Highlights from the rest of the video include the Booth Brothers singing "Testify" and "He Saw It All," the Isaacs performing "Great Is Thy Reward" and the "Orange Blossom Special," and Ernie Haase and Signature Sound lighting up the crowd with "Glory To God In The Highest" and "This Could Be The Dawning Of That Day." I also enjoyed watching Russ Taff strut across the stage and into the crowd for "Trumpet Of Jesus."

Near the end of the video, an uncharacteristically subdued Jessy Dixon sits down at the piano (yes, you read that correctly) and leads the crowd in singing the worship song, "Sanctuary." Fans are then introduced to the Gaither Vocal Band's tenor Wes Hampton on "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go" and Guy Penrod is featured on Kris Kristofferson's weathered "Why Me, Lord." Live From Toronto concludes with Michael English reprising his classic "I Bowed On My Knees" while backed by the GVB for a dynamic finish. By the way, English also sings alongside Ben Speer, Guy Penrod, and Wesley Pritchard as they back Kim Hopper on "What A Lovely Name." It's found as a bonus song on the DVD.

Technical issues aside, Live From Toronto is the best Gaither Homecoming video release since Freedom Band.

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posted by David Bruce Murray @ 4:58:00 PM


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