|
|
||
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.
|
Most Recent Articles
Why blog? (Three years and counting)
| ||
-----------October 31, 2006AUDIO/PODCAST INTERVIEW>> Jeff & Sheri EasterHere's my full and complete mp3 interview with Jeff & Sheri Easter, recorded at NQC 2006 in Louisville, Kentucky. We talk about the Lewis Family, the Easter Brothers, Jeff & Sheri's marriage and sound, plus more! -Daniel Britt Labels: audio, Interviews, podcast October 30, 2006Songwriter Marijohn Wilkin DiesThe AP is reporting that the co-author of "One Day at a Time" passed away on Saturday. Here's a link to a news obit.
Here's a biographical sketch on her. -Daniel Britt October 27, 2006AUDIO/PODCAST INTERVIEW>> Jim Stover & Rhonda ThompsonHere is the extended interview from this week's "Daniel Britt & Friends" on XM 34. The program featured songs that you may have never heard on the radio before--songs that were not singled and never topped the charts. In this interview (mp3 download here) with two veteran Gospel music record promoters, I try to find out how some songs are chosen to be hits and others are left behind. -Daniel Britt Labels: audio, Interviews, podcast Newspaper article on Mary Tom Speer, plus moreLINK>> Newspaper article on Mary Tom & SG
Daniel Mount over at Southern Gospel Blog has already linked to this story, but I have to add my two-cents' worth here. It is foremost an article on Mary Tom Speer Reid; however, it doesn't stop with her. It includes quotes from Dr. Goff, Charlie Waller, Lily Fern Weatherford and Eva Mae LeFevre. It actually crams a lot of historical Southern Gospel information into this one article. It's also interesting to note the documented (lack of a) relationship between Southern Gospel and the Gospel Music Association. Kudos to the writer of the story for his research! -Daniel Britt October 26, 2006CD Review: Valor (What It Took) RATING: 5 Stars Producers: Paul David Kennamer and John Laws Website: www.valormusic.net Song Titles: "My Hope Is Built," "Lead Me To The Rock," "Over The Moon," "What It Took," "Temporary Home," "20 Months Old," "How Great Thou Art," "Water Came Walkin'," "Beulah Land," "When He Calls My Name," "Lead Me To The Rock - Reprise," "Jesus He Will Fix It," "It's Almost Over," "My Hope Is Built - Reprise," "What It Took" (alternate version), and "It's Almost Over" (alternate version) Valor's latest CD includes eleven songs. There's actually sixteen tracks on What It Took, but two of those are short "reprise" tracks, and two others are alternate "inspirational" versions of the project's most memorable ballads. One added track serves as an intro to "How Great Thou Art." It's a childhood recording of Valor's bass singer, Paul David Kennamer. The sound of wind and a piano open What It Took with reverb-heavy unison vocals singing "The Solid Rock," a traditional hymn. (The CD lists the song title as "My Hope Is Built.") This track is fairly short...a verse, a chorus, and then some extended vocal "ooos" that give us our first inkling of Kennamer's lower range. The track segues into a mid-tempo "Lead Me To The Rock," featuring Kennamer and Benjamin Dixon. Next up is a Vep Ellis classic, "Over The Moon," featuring both Dixon and John Laws. This track is introduced with a chorus that has been processed to sound like it's coming from an old LP. The title track is a ballad that begins with only a piano and some light strings for accompaniment. The song gradually builds to a huge climax. When you think it's all over, an extended ending is tagged on before it finally fades out. "Temporary Home" is the only true up-tempo cut on the CD, providing a sudden contrast to "What It Took" This track sounds a bit too derivative of the Gaither Vocal Band in the first few moments, but by the second verse, Valor has clearly put their mark on the tune. You'd never mistake one arrangement for the other. The 20-month old version of Kennamer from 1968 can't sing all the words to "How Great Thou Art," but he knows the tune and hits the C above middle C. When the adult version of Kennamer completes the song three minutes later, he's sitting on the C five octaves lower...yes, that's off the piano. To my ears, it sounds like he's doubled the final passage an octave higher, so I think we're hearing the C at the bottom of the piano as well as the one an octave lower. The upper voices are also singing more than one part. I THINK we're hearing six-part harmony at the end (with a progression of Fmin, to Gmin7, to C, to be precise), but I'd love to get my hands on the masters, strip off the reverb, and find out for certain. There's a statement in the CD jacket that reads, "Valor uses no pitch correction." I wonder if that literally means no digital doubling at an adjacent octave, since that wouldn't TECHNICALLY be a "correction" of pitch. Speaking of the CD jacket, the list of "studios" includes locations like "Various Church Auditoriums" and "Super8 Parking Lot In The Back Of An SUV." I love reading little tidbits like that! By the way, I could easily compose several paragraphs bragging on the CD packaging, but I'll merely say that all CD artwork and written content should be of this caliber. Now, back to the music... The mid-tempo "Water Came Walkin'" is next, featuring Dixon and Laws...lots of cool chords and synchronized vocal slides on this one. The classic "Beulah Land" follows with a guest vocal performance by Daniel Johnson. Kennamer sings the second verse, drenched in reverb. "When He Calls My Name" is slow number contrasting Kennamer's low range with Dixon's upper register. The 39-second reprise of "Lead Me To The Rock" sounds like it was recorded on a street corner. "Jesus, He Will Fix It" is another fun, mid-tempo track...it kicks into an upbeat, black gospel tag before fading out. Larry Ford joins Dixon for "It's Almost Over," another big ballad. The reprise of "My Hope Is Built" is similar to the CD opening, complete with wind sound effects and "ooo" vocals that take a long time to fade out. The inspirational "bonus track" of "What It Took" is similar to the earlier track, with some extra vocal ad libs in the coda. The bonus track of "It's Almost Over" is a Ford-less arrangement with the group taking more vocal liberties this time around. A 30-second string section bit has also been tacked onto the end. Look into the past or present of Southern Gospel, Inspirational, "CCM," or even secular pop music, but you're not going to find a group that sounds quite like Valor. You will likely form a strong opinion of this group (be it favorable or "not my cup of tea") right away. Comparisons are difficult to make, but let's say we start with a modern vocal duo like Aaron/Jeoffrey. Send them to the Stamps-Baxter School Of Music for a crash course in traditional Southern Gospel. Add Isaac Freeman of the Fairfield Four and drop his vocal range by two octaves. Finally, learn a few songs from the Gaither Vocal Band songbook, but make a point not to mimic their arrangements. At that point you MIGHT have a group that sounds a bit like Valor. Sounding unique in a market with so much competition is not an easy task. Maybe I'm the sort of reviewer who's inclined to give a bonus star to a group that pulls it off, but given the difficultly of creating a defining sound while keeping the quality palatable for a general listening audience, I think it's well deserved. Now in terms of my own personal tastes, Valor uses too much reverb, but regardless of my tastes in music, five-star projects should be those few and far between CDs that really stand out from the pack. What It Took stands out in a big way. Hearing Valor's recording for the first time was just as singular an experience for me as the first time I heard music by Johnny Cash, Bruce Hornsby, Michael English, or Take 6. I knew from the moment I heard them that my only source for hearing that same sort of music again in the future would be the original artist. Labels: CD Review CD Review: Aubrey Clark (Down The Road) A Nutshell Review RATING: 1 1/2 Stars Song Titles: "I Wouldn't Change A Thing," "Back Home," "Becky's Tear," "Show Me The Love," "Some Things Never Change," "Untouchable," "Covered It In Prayer," "When Is Enough, Enough," "America's Prayer Cloth," "Ain't No Clock," "If You Can Look Up (You Can Get Up), "Beyond His Reach," and "Baltimore Rain" Aubrey Clark's CD titled Down The Road is plagued by many slow and painful vocal slides that almost get up to the correct pitch. The tracks are redeemed to a point by some nice electric guitar licks, but the keyboards and drums sound cheap throughout this project. The lyrics for all the songs were written by Clark and Dave Pearl. Some of the lyrics would be decent enough in the hands of a more competant vocalist. Mark Bishop or Tim Lovelace could probably make something happen in a comedic vein with "Ain't No Clock," for example. The intro to "Some Things Never Change" and the Southern Rock groove on "Untouchable" are two positive moments that stand out on this CD, but the only track that truly succeeds from start-to-finish is the closing guitar instrumental, "Baltimore Rain," where Clark is joined on guitar by Lee Whitaker. A Clark/Whitaker guitar instrumental CD would probably be more appealing than Down The Road. Labels: CD Review October 25, 2006AUDIO/PODCAST INTERVIEW>> Mark Lowry, Part 2 of 2Click to hear Part 2 This second segment with Mark (over an hour long) was recorded specifically for the XM episode that aired the week of 10/16/06. In this interview, Mark talks about his childhood, family, Gaither, and his recent motorcycle mishap. Plus, hear some insider scoops on your favorite Homecoming Friends... -Daniel Britt Labels: audio, Interviews, podcast October 23, 2006NQC CDs, my new iRiver, and Rediscovering SongsI've got a stack of CDs from NQC that I'll be reviewing in the next couple of weeks. I've spent a few weeks listening and absorbing them now, so it's time to put a few opinions in print. Normally, I'd have jumped on some of them a bit sooner, but my time has been occupied lately with a purchase I made just after NQC. Gene Shell, who traveled to NQC with me this year, brought along a portable MP3 player. I never thought I'd want one, but after spending four days with his, I went out and purchased a 20GB iRiver a day or two after I got home. I've been spending the last few weeks moving my CD collection to this little box that's just slightly larger than a pack of playing cards. If I measure by the spine, I have 33 linear feet of CDs (including many that are just in sleeves). I have to place each CD in my computer, decide which songs I want, rip them, level them, and then copy them to the iRiver. I've covered nearly fifteen feet of shelf space and added 2005 songs so far, so the halfway mark is in sight. The thing is supposed to hold about 4800 songs! It has been fun going thru and finding little gems in my collection that I'd forgotten about. I never was a fan of Johnny Q. Public's music, but their hilarious "Women Of Zion" went on the iRiver. I've remembered how much I originally liked Clay Crosse's A Different Man and the Kingsmen's Shelter. I remembered hearing Billy Joel's Russia concert on the radio years ago. It was a huge deal at the time, because he was the first American pop star to perform behind the Iron Curtain. "Angry Young Man" and several cuts from that project made their way to the iRiver. The early 4Him CDs, Amy Grant's Collection and Glad's first Acappella Project have caused me to recall my years just out of college. So I guess I'm late to the bandwagon, but I'm firmly on board now. I haven't even started looking for places to buy downloads. I've used eMusic and iTunes in the past, so I'll probably be visiting there again in the future (though I'll have to work around iTunes' proprietary format if I use them). The last technology that changed the way I listen to music this significantly was the CD. It's true that MP3 quality isn't as good as CD, but it's as clearer than XM, FM, or AM radio. Because I'll mostly use the player in the car, it's certainly good enough for that environment. By the way...after making this purchase, I'm 90% sure I'll be ditching XM Radio when my contract runs out next year. That's $13 a month that could be spent downloading songs I really want to hear. Labels: Observations October 20, 2006SG Historian On XM Next WeekYou can tune in to XM's enLighten channel 34 next week for a thirty-minute program hosted by Bob Edwards with Close Harmony author, Dr. James Goff, Jr. as his guest. The program will air three times: Wednesday, October 25 (7:00 PM Eastern) and Sunday, October 29 (7:00 PM and Midnight, Eastern).
October 19, 2006Tracy Crouch InterviewDaniel Mount has a great interview with Dixie Echoes bass, Tracy Crouch, posted HERE. Labels: Interviews October 18, 2006CD Alert: Remembering The Cathedrals
According to information posted by Word Distribution and Christian Book Distributors, Daywind Records will be releasing a project titled Remembering The Cathedrals on November 7. Contrary to what I first assumed from the title, it looks this will be yet another collection of original Cathedrals recordings rather than a tribute in the vein of the Perry's Remembering The Happy Goodmans and Mike Bowling's Remembering Kenny Hinson.
-----------October 17, 2006AUDIO/PODCAST INTERVIEW>> Mark Lowry, Part 1 of 2Click to hear Part 1 This is a two-part interview with Mark Lowry. This first segment was recorded one morning recently to mainly discuss an upcoming concert. The segment to follow will be a second interview conducted that same evening that was used on "Daniel Britt & Friends" for XM Satellite Radio. -Daniel Britt Labels: audio, Interviews, podcast US Gospel News NewsI promised to let my readers know what I found out about US Gospel News. I never got a response to the email I sent requesting clarification. However, I learned that Paul Boden's heirs have issued a press release. You can read it HERE.
The short version is that Boden's heirs would like to sell US Gospel News. They also address Gospel Music News specifically, stating "Our family has not endorsed, approved or granted permission to any former employees or any other publications including but not limited to the recently announced formation of Gospel Music News to act on our behalf or speak for our family. No one has been endorsed, approved or granted permission to solicit, extend or pick-up or honor or sell subscriptions to US Gospel News." Some other things are said in the press release that would have probably been better left unsaid. Then again, I'm not sure how politely I would have worded a response if my father had died and within a few days, half his employees had formed a separate publication using his "memory" as a selling point. Either way, the press release is controversial/bitter/emotional/potentially-threatening-litigious-action enough that it's not getting coverage on some news sites. This unfortunately leaves many USGN subscribers in the dark. My purpose in mentioning this is because I promised to follow up on it, first of all, and secondly to inform subscribers. I'm NOT trying to get people to pick a side or encourage a boycott. We don't know, nor do we need to know all the gritty details. But subscribers do deserve to know that they may not get the product they purchased for a while. This is due to circumstances that were understandable with Paul Boden's death, but are unfortunately now compounded by events that have since transpired. It's safe to say these events are not the testament to Boden's memory he would have wanted. October 5, 2006AUDIO>> Record Company ExclusiveJim Stover (Crossroads Records) and Rhonda Thompson (RT Promotions) announced today, in a taped conference call, that they will be working together to promote Allison Durham Speer's latest release to radio.
Hear the audio here. -Daniel Britt October 4, 2006AUDIO/PODCAST INTERVIEW>> Eva Mae LeFevre & Jimmy JonesListen to Daniel Britt and friends Eva Mae LeFevre, Jimmy Jones and Mark Fuller as together they take a trip down memory lane discussing the group's history and success. We'll talk about the unique sound of the LeFevres and hear how the group evolved into the Nelons. Plus, we'll feature one of the last interviews with Jimmy Jones who passed away earlier this year. You'll also hear a message from George Younce to Eva Mae! This interview was recorded in 2003 for a radio program at the time called "Gospel Classics with Mark Fuller & Daniel Britt." This audio features the interview portions plus the "setups" of the songs that were to be included in that particular episode. -Daniel Britt Labels: audio, Interviews, podcast October 2, 2006CD Review: Evidence (Talkin' About The Love Of God) RATING: 2 1/2 Stars Website: http://www.evidencemusicministry.com/ Song Titles: "Talkin' About The Love Of God," "It Pays To Serve The King," "Put My Hand In His Hand," "Grace Greater Than Our Sin," "I'm Winging My Way Back Home," "Roll Away Trouble River," "No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus," "All Aboard," "My Smiling Face," "I Love Jesus Best Of All," and "Reach Out To Jesus" Evidence is a mixed quartet (alto, tenor, lead, bass) based in Orange County, California. Talkin' About The Love Of God includes eleven tracks in a traditional "church quartet" style accompanied by piano and occasional organ. While several of these songs were new to me, I was familiar with classics like "Grace Greater Than Our Sin," "Roll Away Trouble River," "All Aboard," "I'm Winging My Way Back Home," and "Reach Out To Jesus." Let's get the drawbacks out of the way first. Talkin' About The Love Of God has a number of inconsistencies in the areas of phrasing, pitch, and vibrato. "Loud" consonants sometimes come rapid fire rather than together, for example, while some held notes may have one or two singers with a straight tone while the others have an inconsistent vibrato that diminishes the blend. These inconsistencies aren't overwhelmingly bad, just frequent. Some tempos are also inconsistent. I don't mean intentional changes in tempo, such as slowing down at the end of a phrase or section...I'm speaking more with regard to rushed vocal phrases getting ahead of the pianist, who then shifts to catch up. (The verse of "All Aboard" is one example). Another inconsistent element of Talkin' About The Love Of God is the mix. The piano, as a general rule, is buried whenever there are vocals present. Also, on some songs, the old Statesmen mixing technique is employed where one vocal in placed in the left stereo channel while the other three sing in the right. This style of mixing may have been fine when everyone played records on a home stereo system, but it's disconcerting if you're driving down the road in an automobile or listening via headphones. Overall, the vocal tones and blend tend to be decent on Talkin' About The Love Of God, but inadequate support is a problem at times, evidenced by a dryness in the tone or a slight wobble in pitch. I also hear a lot of what my college voice teacher called a "hooty" sound, particularly when the bass singer has an exposed line. There are also a couple of spots where the singers and the pianist aren't on the same chord. Before you think this CD is devoid of any quality, I'd like to address the positive qualities of Talkin' About The Love Of God. This recording has an undefinable, simple charm that fans of groups like the Chuck Wagon Gang should appreciate. These are non-showy vocal arrangements that pretty much stick to the notes on the page. The songs have a happy gait established by the pianist, who has a very good touch at the keys. (A piano solo would have been a welcomed addition to break up the sameness of the sound.) I also like the CD cover concept which ties into the group name. You probably can't see the detail in the scan, but the CD cover features a manila file folder labeled "Evidence" with three drops of blood and a Post-It note saying "Case Closed" (along with a pair of glasses, a pencil with broken lead, and a Polaroid photo of the group. The back cover has what appears to be an official police form where case evidence would be listed...this is where the song titles are listed. Cool idea! Finally, I have to compliment the group for their song selection. Although the vocal performances and the production quality leave quite a bit of room for improvement, at least the songs are well written with a strong focus on ministry and a consistent theme of Christian witness throughout. Labels: CD Review CD Review: Gold City (Revival) RATING: 4 1/2 Stars Label: New Haven Records Producers: Michael Sykes, Michael English, Daniel Riley, Ken Harding, and Dave Lehman Website: www.goldcityqt.com Song Titles: "Ain't That What It's All About," "Preach The Word," "God's Still God," "Look Who Just Checked In," "Truth Is Marching On," "That's What I'm Talking About," "Teach Me Lord To Wait," "Not Anymore," "Mercy Came Running," and "I'm Rich" Six tracks on Gold City's Revival feature a power blend of vocals with Country influenced tracks of a compatible flair. "Ain't That What It's All About," "God's Still God," "Look Who Just Checked In," "That's What I'm Talking About," "Not Anymore," and "I'm Rich" are all excellent, giving group members individual opportunities to be featured while maintaining a consistent musical focus. If you consider the Oak Ridge Boys' sound from the last five years and imagine the pitch shifted up half an octave, you'll get a pretty good idea of the prevailing Gold City Revival sound. Of these, the standouts are the remakes "Ain't That What It's All About," originally recorded by the Hinsons, and "I'm Rich," which has been re-interpreted over the years by a number of artists ranging from the Nelons to Jessy Dixon. "Look Who Just Checked In" also deserves a mention. It's a modern Christmas song written by Stephen Hill and Daryl Williams that seems tailor made for a male quartet (unlike many Christmas arrangements adapted for male quartets). Gold City has helped introduce Christmas songs of this type before...you may recall "That Little Baby." The other Revival tracks go in contrasting musical directions. A pop/inspo production approach complimented by one of Steve Mauldin's string orchestrations provides the backdrop for "Preach The Word," a big ballad for tenor Steve Ladd. "Truth Is Marching On" is the second power ballad on Revival, featuring Daniel Riley. This song starts meekly with a light acoustic guitar intro, adds keys/strings followed by a lightly sung first verse, a strong chorus, a bigger verse/chorus, and ending with a huge bridge/chorus. "Teach Me Lord To Wait" steps back in time with a traditional string orchestra feel and features Aaron McCune. Finally, the Revival arrangment of "Mercy Came Running" is pretty much the same as the original version by Phillips, Craig, and Dean. Gold City's version is set apart by the addition of a bass singer in the mix. Songs like "Preach The Word" and "Truth Is Marching On" are as solid as you'll hear anywhere, even though the musical approach differs from the majority of songs on Revival. "Teach Me Lord To Wait" is the only selection that feels somewhat out of place. As a standalone track, it's very good, but I think it would have been better suited for McCune if it appeared on a Palmetto State recording. It's in the style of a "White Christmas" type soundtrack from a Bing Crosby Christmas special and McCune's choppy vocal interpretation runs counter to the smooth flowing accompaniment. When I saw Daniel Riley a few weeks ago, he told me he wanted Revival to introduce a new direction for Gold City, but not abandon the expectations of existing fans in the process. I believe he's accomplished that goal. Gold City fans will like Revival if they possess a reasonable tolerance for change, variety, and more specifically if this "Gold City goes Country" approach suits their personal tastes. It's worth noting that while Revival may contrast recordings like Walk The Talk and First Class, it's really not so different from Heaven. Labels: CD Review 
| |||
Who's Blogging?
Contributors
Blog Search
Talk Back
Useful Links
Discuss SG
Quicklinks
Advice, Audio, Audio, Audiobooks, biography, CCM, CD Reviews, Concert Reviews, Discographies, Dove Awards, DVD Reviews, Fan Awards, History, Housekeeping, Humor, In The News, Interviews, Limericks, Group Members, Movies, NQC, Obituary, Observations, Odds And Ends, Old Clips, Other Blogs, Other Forums, Podcasts, Praise And Worship, Sad But True, Shopping Tales, Singing News, Song Clips, TV Shows, XM News, YouTube,
Archives
- September 2004
- October 2004
- November 2004
- December 2004
- January 2005
- February 2005
- March 2005
- April 2005
- May 2005
- June 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
Copyright
- All textual content posted at Musicscribe.com and subfolders is owned and copyrighted by David Bruce Murray unless otherwise indicated. No reprints may be made without the permission of the author, except as provided by US Copyright law. Permission is granted to reprint articles on other non-commercial websites only as long as the following conditions are met:
1) All articles must be reprinted in full with no editing or additions
2) The words "by David Bruce Murray" must be displayed prominently with each reprinted article.
3) A link to the original article at Musicscribe.com must accompany all reprints. If your site meets these requirements, you may reprint articles without requesting additional permission from the author.The copyright of all content posted by Musicscribe.com contributors other than David Bruce Murray is retained by the original authors.