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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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-----------February 28, 2006Popular Quartet Sings Again02/28/06 POPULAR QUARTET SINGS AGAIN This quartet came out of retirement to perform on the Jubilee At Sea Cruise last week. The group left the road 5 years ago after their BIG performance at NQC. read more on this story here: http://www.sglive365.com/news2022806kjvq.html
February 27, 2006Dottie Rambo Inducted.. Ky Music Hall Of Fame 02/27/06 DOTTIE RAMBO INDUCTED INTO KY MUSIC HALL OF FAME Legendary singer/songwriter Dottie Rambo was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame last week (February 23) in Lexington, KY. read more on this story here:
http://www.sglive365.com/news2022706dottie.html See also: Biography February 26, 2006Service Arrangements For Anthony Burger Service Arrangements for Anthony Burger: ARRANGEMENTS - NASHVILLE, TN LOCATION: Christ Church, Nashville, TN VIEWINGS: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 10:00 am - 12 Noon FUNERAL:Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - 1:00 pm Additional services and viewings will be conducted in Cleveland, TN on Thursday & Friday. Those arrangements will be released as soon as they are complete. Thank you for your prayers for the Burger family.
February 25, 20062006 Singing News Fan Award BallotThe March 2006 issue of Singing News comes to subscribers with the "Official Nominating Ballot" for the 36th Annual Singing News Fan Awards bound between pages 50 and 51.
The following are getting my votes this year: Female Singer: Lauren Talley Male Singer: Arthur Rice Alto: Susan Jackson Soprano: Charlotte Ritchie Album: Anything But Ordinary, Everything But Typical (Dove Brothers) Song: "He Saw It All" (Booth Brothers) Horizon Individual: Jeremy Lile (Crystal River Quartet) Horizon Group: Crystal River Tenor: John Rulapaugh Lead: Arthur Rice Baritone: Mark Trammell Bass: David Hester Band: Crabb Family Songwriter: Joel Lindsey Traditional Quartet: Dove Brothers Mixed Quartet: Perrys Trio: Mark Trammell Trio Soloist: Mark Lowry Young Artist: Scott Inman Zip Code: 28018...OK, that was a joke...but it's on the form as if it's a category. I'm also voting for: Musician: Doug Riley Pianist: Anthony Burger I don't know if other fans will do what I'm doing on those last two categories or not, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if they did. Call it a "sympathy vote" or whatever you want, but I think a Fan Award given posthumously would be a tremendous way to honor the accomplishments of these two men. If these awards were based on outstanding accomplishments over the past year rather than being fan favorites, I might vote differently, but I think these are the two guys fans are going to be remembering most fondly for the next little while. I'm not voting in the large or medium market DJ categories since I don't get a chance to hear any of them, but I'm voting in the small market for the one guy I hear with any regularity. By the way, if you're keeping score, the categories for Syndicated Radio Show and Video are GONE. One new category this year is for Artist Website. My votes in these categories go to: Artist Website: www.hopescall.com Small Market DJ: James Metcalf, WJFJ, Columbus, NC February 24, 2006Anthony Burger TributesA number of Anthony Burger tributes have been posted on the web since yesterday.
1. Steinway & Sons has a nice tribute to Anthony Burger on their website. Click HERE. 2. SGLive365 has a growing list of comments from artists in the Southern Gospel community. Click HERE. 3. Danny Jones has an article on the Singing News website. Click HERE. 4. Mark Lowry keeps adding more details to his site as they come in. Click HERE. (You may have to try that link several times before you can get the site to load. Lowry's site has been being flooded since the news broke.) By the way, Ben Speer is quoted on Lowry's site debunking the original report that Burger was playing "We Shall Behold Him" when he collapsed. According to Speer, Guy Penrod, Bill Gaither, and Gloria Gaither were singing "Hear My Song, Lord" with Burger playing behind them when he died. 5. Martin Roth has a number of links to various tributes on his blog. Click HERE. 6. Click HERE for a photo gallery. 7. Click HERE to read Stewart Varnado's tribute. 8. I only admired Anthony Burger's skills from a distance and never met him, so I haven't written an original tribute to him per se. I did spend quite a bit of time late yesterday creating an entry for him at www.wikipedia.com, though. Click HERE. (I figure Wikipedia will be around after other sites (including Musicscribe) are long gone. It has the advantage of being run by a community rather than one individual. The neat thing about Wikipedia is that anyone can read the entry, then add to it or take away from it as they see fit...the idea being that as a general rule, it's people who care who will take the time to make sure the facts are presented accurately. In fact, I just noticed that someone has already been by and tweaked the entry.) See also: Biography February 23, 2006Welcome SGLive365Chuck Peters of SGLive365.com has been reprinting most of my CD Reviews on his website for a few weeks now and including them in his daily ShowPrep newsletter for DJs. I've returned the favor by inviting him to post links to his news articles here at Musicscribe. I hope he will also take advantage of his Musicscribe access privileges to write an opinion article from time to time. Chuck did a bit of blogging at one point in time. I welcome and encourage his involvement here.
This should go without saying, but you'll be able to tell who wrote each article in the future by looking at the by-line underneath. I just thought I should mention it since up until now, the by-line for all articles has been "David Bruce Murray" and no one has had any reason to look. Chuck will be posting as "sglive365.com." By the way, if you like listening to Southern Gospel over the internet, Chuck's station is one of the most professionally programmed channels you'll find. You can access his site any time by using the SGLive365 NewsRadio link at the top of this page. ANTHONY BURGER 06/05/61 - 02/22/0602/23/06 ANTHONY BURGER 06/05/61 - 02/22/06 We have lost one of the nicest people I have ever known. read more here: http://www.sglive365.com/ab.html
See also: Biography Musicscribe In March Singing NewsThe March 2006 issue of Singing News contains an article on page 42 titled "Southern Gospel On The Internet." It's written by Kenneth Kirksey. In the section on blogs, your's truly is mentioned along with Doug Harrison's www.averyfineline.com and Chris and Amy Unthank's blog link site www.sgblognews.com.
Kirksey gave Harrison a "love him or hate him" disclaimer. He was nicer, albeit briefer, about Musicscribe. I appreciated Kirksey's comment that my site is both "popular and well written." I certainly do aim for clarity in my writing along with my "useful - informative" motto. If you're a new visitor finding Musicscribe for the first time by way of the Singing News, a hearty "Welcome" to you! I hope you'll keep coming back for more. February 20, 2006Movie Review: The Second Chance RATING: 3 1/2 Stars The Second Chance stars Michael W. Smith in his first feature film role. Steve Taylor is also taking his first turn (after many years of anticipation) as the director and co-writer of a major motion picture. Jeff Obafemi Carr is Smith's co-star in this movie. He's a newcomer as well. Smith's character is Ethan Jenkins, a former rock star and drug addict who is now a prodigal returned home. As the movie opens, Jenkins is being groomed to replace his father as head of a mega-church called "The Rock." Carr plays Jake Sanders, a black preacher leading an inner city church whose property and leaders are financed as an outreach project of The Rock. Jenkins and Sanders are thrown together after the church's board members grow restless with both men for failing to toe the line. I'm always worried about "Christian Movies." Much like some Christian music CDs, Christian movies tend to be overly hyped regardless of quality and mostly made by amateurs. There have been a few exceptions like The Apostle, The Passion Of Christ, and Luther, but the Christian marketplace has had more than it's share of dogs...partly because the money hasn't been there to make good quality films in the past, but moreso because these films lack compelling plots. The Second Chance is a step in the right direction. There's background on the key characters and we see how they change in relation to each other over the course of the film. I liked the fact that the even the villain seemed to believe his own motivations were in the best interest of the kingdom of God. That was refreshing. I also thought it was great that we were left hanging on some issues of the story. Was the acting that great? No, not particularly. Smith did better than I expected, but it's clear he isn't a seasoned actor. He does pretty good conveying emotions, but his biggest fault is that he tends to rush his lines. Carr is the better actor of the two, but you can also sense he's new at this. Taylor's directing is good overall, but the camera work is shaky at times (perhaps intentionally), sometimes zooming in way too close for no particular stylistic reason. In general, the look of the film wasn't all that compelling or consistent. Taylor got some moving performances out of the supporting cast, though. I think he has really excelled in this area. Smith's score is fairly effective, but other musical cues felt uneven. For example, there's a church choir that can't sing on key or with any decent rhythm until Smith sits down at the piano, and suddenly they sound like Nashville's finest studio singers (probably because they are). I believe The Second Chance succeeds where other Christian movies have failed due to the quality of Taylor's story. If a character initially seems to be there merely for comic relief or as a victim who needs saving, you may be surprised at how that character is used later in the movie. It's also a tribute to the writers that each character in the film has an interesting back story and evident flaws. Jenkins has his presumptions, for example, while Sanders is arrogant and sometimes given to swearing. In other words, the characters have been fleshed out with believeable and realistic motivations. That being said, one aspect of the film that seems to fly in the face of the movie's message is one of the ways it is being promoted. If you take fifty people to see the film, you can win an appearance by Michael W. Smith at your own church...but you must prove you took fifty people and you aren't allowed to publicize that he's coming if you win. There's a big drawing at the movie's official website. Now in contrast, the "bad guy" in the film is the big church acting at the expense of the hurting people who need the individual, personal touch. In the real world of marketing by Provident Films, we ain't gonna send Michael W. Smith out to your church for free unless you pay to bring at least fifty people to see our film. My cynicism aside, one fan described the film as a wake up call to the church rather than an evangelistic film. That's an accurate description, and I think that's another reason this movie succeeds. When you have a movie that focuses on extended expostions about becoming a Christian, you generally have a poor movie. Why? Because the film claims to be telling a story about this or that, but is in reality just an extended presentation of the plan of salvation with a bit of a story tacked on. Most Christian movies come across as having all the answers, but The Second Chance isn't presumptous. For all of the areas where it could have been improved, The Second Chance has successfully avoided that stigma, and for that I'm grateful. Labels: Movies February 18, 2006Jake Hess Head Click HERE to see a glazed ceramic head resembling Jake Hess take shape. After watching the slides and seeing how this was pieced (no pun intended) together, I wondered if the toupee is still detachable. If so, you've got yourself a cool looking cookie jar.
Maybe the SGMA should look into marketing Manchild Hess Cookie Jars after they exhaust their supply of Jake Bears. The artist who created this item is Russell C. Bennett, known on the internet as the Art Coach. IMAGE SOURCE: An Art Coach post on SGML Forum February 17, 2006CD Review: It's So God (Brian Free And Assurance) RATING: 5 Stars Label: Daywind Producer/Arranger: Wayne Haun Website: www.brianfreeandassurance.com Song Titles: "When The Lord Says Go," "It's All About The Blood," "The Coming Of The King," "If It Takes A Valley," "Man Of Sorrows," "Deep, Deep Sea," "The Only Thing Broken," "Keeping The Old Man Down," "It's Good And It's God," "Under Cross Examination," and "Jesus Will Pick You Up" It's So God by Brian Free and Assurance should be a strong contender for the best quartet recording of 2006. This project is firing on all cylinders. The energetic, brass driven “When The Lord Says Go” gets It’s So God underway with a flourish. It features lead singer Bill Shivers. Brian Free then takes the melody for a nice ballad called “It’s All About The Blood” written by Marty Funderburke and Tammy Dunaway. “The Coming Of The King” is in the same vein as the group’s 2005 hit “Long As I Got King Jesus”…white boys tipping their hats to Black Gospel with a soulful music track while maintaining a Southern Gospel male quartet vocal balance. It worked out great for the group last time, so they've embraced this type of song more deliberately this time around. A couple of songs on the second half of the CD have a souful treatment as well. The group isn't resting on their laurels, though. Brian Free and Assurance expand their musical territory with “If It Takes A Valley.” This Joel Lindsey/Sue C. Smith lyric has a mid-tempo Celtic feel with Sam Levine sitting in to play penny whistle. It’s also the first single being released to radio from It's So God. “Man Of Sorrows” and "The Only Thing Broken" are slower, reflective cuts that provide a contrast to the upbeat tracks. "Keeping The Old Man Down" is a happy song in a minor key with a bluegrass feel. Derrick Selph steps up to be featured on "It's Good And It's God," the second soulful song on It's So God. The big ballad on It's So God is "Under Cross Examination." Featuring Shivers on the first verse and Free on the second, the arrangement begins with light strings and a piano for accompaniment and then slowly builds to a huge finish. I believe the group saved the best for last with "Jesus Will Pick You Up." This track is a remake of a song that put the Williams Sisters on the map in the 1990s. Like "The Coming Of The King," it also picks up where "Long As I Got King Jesus" left off. Plott almost gets a bass singer rap going on at one point. It's So God has everything a new studio recording ought to have...excitement, fresh sounds, thought provoking lyrics on the slower paced numbers, and consistent quality from start to finish. Brian Free and Assurance, Daywind Records, and producer Wayne Haun should be very proud of this release. Labels: CD Review A few words about CD ratingsAspects like song selection, arranging, production, packaging, and vocal quality are considered when CD ratings are determined. Including half stars, there are nine possible ratings ranging from 1 Star to 5 Stars. The vast majority of CDs receive one of the seven possible ratings that fall between the two outer extremes.
1 Star - A project that is lacking in every aspect 3 Stars - This mid-point on the scale means when all things were considered, the project averaged out to being perfectly average. The review itself should point out the highlights and lowlights. 5 Stars - A project that excels in every aspect From time to time, a lesser quality project will be reviewed, particularly if it's from a major record label and/or by a major artist. Reviews of projects that would receive 2 Stars or less are generally avoided, though. There's really no compelling reason to give much publicity to inferior quality recordings. That's why you will see mostly average and above reviews posted at Musicscribe. It doesn't mean there's a lack of inferior recordings or that the person writing the review is afraid to be critical. February 13, 2006CD Alert: Blur The Lines (Crabb Family) I've just heard the tracks for the upcoming release by the Crabb Family titled Blur The Lines. It's due to release on March 28. Like the Brian Free release I blogged about last week, I heard these songs over an internet connection.
This recording certainly lives up to its name. It draws from black gospel, praise music, and contemporary Christian pop music sources. There's also a couple of hymns. The first track on the recording, "Friend Of God," is repeated at the end of the recording in Spanish ("Amigo De Dios"). Counting the repeated track, there are 13 songs in all. None of the songs on Blur The Lines are original tracks, but that doesn't matter. The Crabb Family gives each song a unique Crabb touch, which is what I wish all artists would do when they do re-makes. The music tracks are mostly in the vein of the original versions of these songs (with the hymns being exceptions, of course), but the Crabbs make each track their own vocally. Look for a full length review of this CD once I get a copy. My primal reaction is that it's: A) Very good and B) Sure to tick off a lot of Southern Gospel fans. February 11, 2006DVD 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. Labels: DVD Review DVD Review: Canadian Homecoming (Gaither) RATING: 3 1/2 Stars Label: Gaither Music Group Producer: Bill Gaither Website: www.gaither.com Song Titles: "Goodby, World, Goodby," "Somebody Loves Me," "My Journey To The Sky," "Something Within," "Stand By Me," "Holy Highway," "You Raise Me Up," "Little Is Much When God Is In It," "O Canada," "Gettin' Ready To Leave This World," "Come Out Of The Wilderness," "I've Come Too Far," "I Can Only Imagine," "It Is Well With My Soul," "I'm Saved," "When Morning Sweeps The Sky," "Rivers Of Babylon," "More Than Ever," "He Will Carry You," "Through It All," "Then Came The Morning," "He Is Holy," "When All Of God's Singers Get Home," and "Because He Lives" DVD Bonus Songs: "Alpha And Omega" and "Canaanland Is Just In Sight" 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. Most double video sets in the Gaither video series are comparable in terms of song selection and flow, but it appears that most of the more exciting songs were cherry picked for Live From Toronto. In contrast, Canadian Homecoming comes across as a bit boring overall. It seems to drag on longer, even though it's actually a few minutes shorter. The first twenty-five minutes are pretty good as the Homecoming Friends sing "Goodby, World, Goodby" and "Somebody Loves Me," followed by a bit of comedy and the Gaither Vocal Band singing "My Journey To The Sky." Stephen Hill does a great job with "Something Within" and Signature Sound sings their popular "Stand By Me" followed by "Holy Highway" where they are joined by the GVB. From that point on, though, the tempo of most songs rarely break 100 beats per minute. Slow songs like "Little Is Much When God Is In It," "O Canada," "You Raise Me Up," "I've Come Too Far," "I Can Only Imagine" and "It Is Well" are interrupted by "Gettin' Ready To Leave This World" featuring Anthony Burger and "Come Out Of The Wilderness" featuring Jessy Dixon. After that, Jeff Allen is on hand with some comedy to break the monotony and Gaither has some funny moments with Ben Speer on "When Morning Sweeps The Eastern Sky." Then it's back to slow songs for the remaining thirty-five minutes. The two bonus songs ("Alpha And Omega" and "Canaanland Is Just In Sight") would have been a welcomed alternatives. Adding the mid-tempo "What A Lovely Name" (a bonus song on Live From Toronto) would have been a great move as well to make Canadian Homecoming more satisfying to watch. It isn't that I have anything against slow songs or that the performances on Canadian Homecoming are inferior, but having thirty-five minutes of slow songs in a row after an hour of slow songs that were only punctuated briefly by a couple of upbeat numbers is just too much of a good thing. Live From Toronto is a great DVD to watch and feel you've been entertained when it's over. Canadian Homecoming is better to put on when you want to sleep in your recliner. Labels: DVD Review DVD Review: Torch (Various Artists) RATING: 4 Stars Label: Daywind Records INSP Producer: Steven Hoyt INSP Director: Russell Hall Daywind Producers: Crystal Burchette, Ed Leonard, Mike Speck, Melody VanNus, and Rick Shelton Website: www.daywind.com Song Titles: "The Race," "Stand Up," "We Shall Wear A Crown," "Midnight Cry," "He's Still Working On Me," "I'm Getting Ready To Leave This World," "Grace," "Who Am I Medley," "Boundless Love," "Redeemer," "Shout To The Lord/How Great Thou Art," and "Our Generation" Torch: A Live Celebration Of Southern Gospel's Next Generation is a fifty-minute video recorded at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY during the National Quartet Convention in 2005. Both the INSP-TV network and Daywind Records had a hand in putting this project together. Mike Speck hosts the event, which spotlights many of Southern Gospel's top artists under the age of thirty. These featured singers are backed by a choir of up and coming young artists. Most of the songs on Torch are remakes of hits made popular by Southern Gospel groups in the past. Exceptions include a new song called "The Race" which opens the video and "Our Generation" which closes it. The popular praise song "Shout To The Lord" is also included. All the songs feature combinations of artists who don't typically sing together. For example, Lauren Talley, Scott Inman, Annie McRae and Adam Crabb perform "The Race" while Amber Thompson, Jeff Snyder, Kelly McRae, and Christian Davis offer their version of the Nelons classic "We Shall Wear A Crown." Representing the youngest artists on the stage, Autumn Thompson and Avery Wolfe sing solo lines on the timeless Hemphills song "He's Still Working On Me." The crowd seems to respond most strongly to the male quartets that were put together for Torch. These include: 1. Jeremy Peace, Josh Feemster, Derrick Selph, and Jeremy Lile singing the Kingsmen standard "Stand Up," 2. John Rulapaugh, Lance Moore, Josh Singletary, and Aaron McCune on "I'm Getting Ready To Leave This World" and 3. Anthony Facello, Josh Garner, Scott Inman, and Chris West performing "Boundless Love." Lauren Talley, Stephanie Brown, and Eddie Harrison also get an excellent response from their version of "Shout To The Lord/How Great Thou Art." Several male singers including Jason Crabb and Matt McFarland take the stage for "Midnight Cry." The Crabb Family has a nice rendition of "Redeemer." Jim Mahalick, Amber Balltzglier, and Jessica Harrison join to sing the Martins staple, "Grace." From a technical point of view, this video isn't in the same league as a Gaither production, though I should note in light of the most recent Gaither videos that the cameras generally stay in focus on Torch. It looks a bit fuzzy, though. The lighting could have been better and the black backdrop certainly didn't help the camera crew when it came to controlling their white balance levels. Freedom Hall, unfortunately, isn't the most attractive arena in the world and there's only so much a video crew can do to dress it up. Overall, the production quality on this release is comparable to other live Daywind video releases and generally surpasses most of the videos that groups make on their own. Labels: DVD Review CD Review: Singing You Happy (Singing Christians) RATING: 3 Stars Producer: Danny Crawford Website: www.singingchristians.com Song Titles: "Jesus Love Has Made A Change," "Sittin' On Cloud Nine," "Come Spring," "When You Change Your Mind," "It'll Be Worth Every Mile Of The Trip," "Just Over Yonder," "Wonderful Day Of Joy," "One Way Trip," "What A Meeting," and "Hold Me" The Singing Christians (Janice Rochester, Chris Rochester, and Jill Neave) have an attractively packaged product in Singing You Happy. Musicians from Horizon studio in Arden, NC recorded the tracks. The packaging identifies Neave as the writer of "Wonderful Day Of Joy," but the writers of the other songs aren't credited. Vocally, the Singing Christians have a pleasing blend. According to the liner notes, this group has been together for thirty years. You can tell they are comfortable singing with each other. "Jesus Love Has Made A Changing" has an easygoing swing feel. This yields to a more country-fied "Sittin' On Cloud Nine." The country feel continues at a slower tempo on "Come Spring." The country style pretty much dominates the rest of the recording, so the project is consistent musically. I think "Just Over Yonder," with its nod to bluegrass, is one of the strongest tracks on this CD. Neave's "Wonderful Day Of Joy" also comes across nicely. The recording concludes with an auto-biographical narration and an invitation to accept Christ as Savior over the music of the song "Hold Me," which gives the recording a nice personal touch. Each of the singers in this group could use more diaphragm support. When they all sing together, it works fine because they are singing similarly. The strongest songs are those that feature the entire group singing together, though, while solo lines tend to be weaker. Diction is very good and intonation is decent overall. Singing You Happy gets good marks for consistency, average marks for performance quality, good marks for a song selection that suits the vocals, below average marks for dynamics (it's basically the same dynamic from start to finish), and average marks for originality. Labels: CD Review February 7, 20061940 Stamps-Baxter Groups A friend of mine who frequently checks out flea markets and yard sales recently found a booklet showing photos of Stamps-Baxter groups from 1940. He gave it to me, so I thought I'd share it with you.You will recognize some of these names if you study Southern Gospel history. Click HERE to view the booklet. February 6, 2006Say "Bye" To My Top 20 Male Quartets ListI only see most of the major quartets once a year at NQC. A few come through the area during the year, but it's usually the same few each year. Because of this, my Top 20 Male Quartets list tends to be fairly stale and thereby, boring, since it never moves but a couple of times a year.
I do, on the other hand, hear most of the major Southern Gospel releases, some well before the public. What I'm planning to do (unless there is a major protest from readers) is remove the list of Top 20 Male Quartets from my sidebar and replace it with a ranked list of the top current and upcoming recordings. A CD will either fall off the list 12 months after it's release or it will get pushed off the list as new titles are released. The limit will still be 20. Sometimes the list will be less than 20, but never more. Also, this list will be of all types of Southern Gospel, not just male quartets. Like the previous list, the new list will be ranked in terms of my opinion...the CDs I most want to hear at any given time. It won't necessarily be the same way I'd rank them in terms of overall quality or rank them on the 1 to 5 scale we use at SoGospelNews.com. How does that grab you? CD Alert: It's So God (Brian Free And Assurance)On the heels of my sharpest criticism to date, here comes my first raving endorsement of the year:
When February 28, 2006 rolls around, run...don't walk...to the nearest store and get a copy of It's So God by Brian Free And Assurance. Better yet, call ahead and tell them you want to have a copy put on hold, because these are going to go fast. I haven't had the chance to hold the actual CD in my hand yet, but I've just heard all the songs over an internet link a couple of times. White boys singing black gospel music while maintaining the integrity of a male quartet sound...who'd a thunk it could sound so good? Throw in a minor key song and a Celtic feel on another for variety, and you have what could very well be the quartet CD of the year for 2006. At the very least, the standard has been set. A full review will follow as soon as I get my hands on a physical copy. Unless there are flaws I can't hear over an internet connection, this sounds like it's going to be a 5 Star project. February 4, 2006CD Review: Remembering Kenny Hinson (Mike Bowling) RATING: 2 1/2 Stars Label: Daywind Records Song Titles: "Ain't That What It's All About," "Call Me Gone," "Just Let Me Fall," "There's Gonna Be Some Changes," "The Lighthouse," "Broken Worthless Vessel," "Come On Back," "He Pilots My Ship," "Hallelujah Meetin'," "Lord, You're All I Need," "Two Winning Hands," "Camp Meeting Days," "Sing One More Song About Heaven," "Too Many Times," "I'll Never Be Over That Hill," "That I Could Still Go Free," "Soul Fillin' Station," and "Mercy Built A Bridge" Disclaimer: This is very much a "first impression" review, so take that into consideration as you get mad at me. Full Disclosure: I listened to the first ten tracks and couldn't take it any more. Some of Mike Bowling's fans may not care for this CD. Count me as one. Although I don't consider myself a huge fan, I've found his previous solo releases to have good songs. I've always thought they were well made. In contrast, what we have on this tribute to Kenny Hinson is a collection of eighteen songs that sound about one notch above karaoke night. Rather than simply singing the songs in his own proven voice, Bowling tries his best to mimic Hinson's vocal mannerisms. Have you ever seen those caricature artists who over-emphasize prominent facial features to create a recognizable, yet funny resemblance? That's what Bowling is doing here vocally. In fact, that would have been a better title for the CD...Resembling Kenny Hinson. Let the record show that Bowling has just entered competion with Michael Combs and Jessy Dixon for the Most Annoying Male Vocalist award. Any CD with this much nasal ought to have a warning sticker and come with a snot rag. Labels: CD Review CD Review: Give It Away (Gaither Vocal Band) RATING: 4 1/2 Stars Title: Give It Away Artist: Gaither Vocal Band Label: Gaither Music Group Producers: Bill Gaither, Michael Sykes, and Gaither Vocal Band Song Titles: "Bread Upon The Water," "I Catch 'Em, God Cleans 'Em," "Jesus Loves Me," "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go," "My Journey To The Sky," "Through," "Glorious Impossible," "Worthy The Lamb," "Eagle Song," "Love Can Turn The World," "Child Forgiven," "Why Me," "I Will Go On," "Place Called Hope," and "Give It Away" The promo material that came with Give It Away had a heading that read Bill Gaither Thinks New Gaither Vocal Band CD May Be Their Best Yet. It's true that it's an excellent CD compared to most recordings by vocal groups both inside and outside Southern Gospel, but I think Gaither is kidding himself if he really believes it's the best GVB release ever. Not to go overboard breaking down his meaning, I did notice he used the word "may." Fair enough. I suppose it MAY be their best, but looking over my stack of GVB CDs dating back to A Few Good Men and the original Homecoming release, I only see a couple I'll probably listen to less than Give It Away in the future. The last "normal" studio release from the GVB came in the fall of 2002 (Everything Good), so fans should be chomping at the bit for Give It Away. They get their money's worth with fifteen songs that come up less than a minute shy of being a full hour of music. Ten of the fifteen songs on Give It Away have been recorded previously. Two were first popularized by the Imperials ("Bread Upon The Water" and "Eagle Song"). "Bread Upon The Water" has been updated a bit with more complex vocal harmonies on the chorus. Two songs are from circa 1949 and employ the same vocal arrangements as the Jordanaires' originals ("My Journey To The Sky" and "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go"). Marshall Hall takes the lead for a slowed down version of the classic children's song, "Jesus Loves Me." Guy Penrod is featured on Kris Kristofferson's weathered "Why Me." Two tracks are self-remakes for Gaither ("Worthy The Lamb" and "I Will Go On"). It's expected that a GVB recording will include a couple of classic Gaither songs, but I was glad to see them deliver some lesser known tunes this time rather than doing the fortieth version of "He Touched Me" or "The King Is Coming." Two remakes on Give It Away have more recent sources. The first is Guy Penrod's take on Gordon Mote's "I Catch 'Em, God Cleans 'Em" from 2005. The other is a worship song co-written and originally performed by Carl Cartee (also in 2005) called "Glorious Impossible." It has the potential to re-open doors for the GVB on contemporary Christian radio, and may be the best cut on this CD. Original material on Give It Away includes "Through," a dynamic Guy Penrod feature with light piano and strings for accompaniment. "Love Can Turn The World" features a jungle beat (think The Lion King, not hip-hop) and a children's choir from Africa. "Child Forgiven" is one of two driving Country songs on the CD..."I Catch 'Em, God Cleans 'Em" being the other. A slower tune called "Place Called Hope" is positioned near the end of the CD. (It's not the Michael English song.) The CD then concludes with the mid-tempo "Give It Away," with the GVB joined on vocals by their tour-mates, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. I will spare tenor singer Wes Hampton the obvious comparisons to previous tenor David Phelps who he replaced in 2005. I will compare him to Phelps' predecessor Jonathan Pierce, though, by saying I prefer Pierce's version of "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go," but Hampton still does a great job with the song. Hampton's voice Despite its bulk and consistently excellent vocals and production quality, the songs on Give It Away are all over the place musically and thematically. All these songs are great individually, but do they go together? No. "Why Me," "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go," and "The Lion Sleeps Tonig...er...I mean..."Love Can Turn The World" are from totally different musical worlds. It's like you're hearing parts of three or four different projects. In the final analysis, we have a recording that comes across as less than the sum of its parts. It's a significant enough flaw to knock off a half star from what would otherwise be a five star recording. Labels: CD Review February 3, 2006Two degrees of seperation from the GVB  Click HERE and take a listen.
That's me playing a Kawai baby grand at my church as Carl Cartee sings "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." I recorded a CD of myself and various friends a few years ago around the same time I was editing a concert video for Carl. He was gracious enough to play guitar on a couple of songs for me. Then he sang this old hymn, and did an excellent job as you can hear. I tried my best to do what a good accompanist ought to do...stay out of the singer's way. Now, fast forward to 2006. When you break open the latest Gaither Vocal Band CD, you'll see Carl's name listed as a co-writer of the song "Glorious Impossible." He recorded the song last year on a CD by the same title for the Spring Hill Worship label. He also joined the Spring Hill Worship roster of recording artists not long ago, and has a new CD coming out February 2, 2006Michael English: "I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy" DS writes:
Hello. I am looking for a song I heard years ago from the Singing Americans I think the title was ..... I Get Down on My Knees and Cry HOLY. It is a beautiful song and I would really love to get it. This may sound morbid but my husband and I would both like this played at our funerals. If you know of where I could find this please let me know. I get these types of questions from time to time, so I thought I'd provide the answer here on my blog. Interestingly enough, I watched a video earlier today that had this very song on it, sung by the lead singer who recorded it with the Singing Americans. I'll answer your specific question first before I mention the video title, though. The Singing Americans version of this song was first released on a project titled Live And Alive on the Riversong label. The release date was 1984, and it has been out of print for a long time. Your best bet is to check auction listings at eBay or with a dealer who stocks out of print Gospel LPs and cassettes. The lead singer who recorded "I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy" (which is the proper title) with the Singing Americans was Michael English. See his entire discography by clicking HERE. English has recorded six different versions of the song over the years, not counting video versions. Some of these can still be purchased...click the titles with links to order them from Christian Book Distributors. 1. With the Happy Goodmans - Chosen 2. With the Singing Americans - Live And Alive 3. With the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - Live...Again 4. With the Gaither Vocal Band - Southern Classics (The same version is also on Best Of The Gaither Vocal Band, which released in 2004.) 5. As a soloist - Gospel 6. As a soloist on a rare cassette single. This was offered free by mail to people who purchased his full length self-titled solo recording Michael English. This was in 1991. There is also a recording releasing on 2/22/2006 called In Christ Alone: Greatest Hits that will include "I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy." I suspect the version on this CD will be the same as the version on Gospel. Video versions of "I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy" are numerous. The latest release to feature Michael English singing his signature song is just days old at the time of this writing. It's titled Live From Toronto, and features English backed by the current Gaither Vocal Band. Click the title, or look for it at your local Christian bookstore under Gaither Homecoming videos. Live From Toronto is also available as a CD. IMAGE SOURCE: Live From Toronto screen capture 
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