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.

Most Recent Articles

CD Review: Russ Taff (Now More Than Ever)
CD Review: Gospel Harmony Boys (I Believe)
Blogger Summit Report
Another Group Merger
Blogger Summit Continued
Blogger Summit
Vine Records Noticed By Billboard Writer
AUDIO/INTERVIEW PODCAST>> Mercy's Mark
CD Review: Mark Bishop (Abundant Sunshine)
CD Review: Kingdom Heirs (True To The Call)

I'mWithFred - Contribute Now

-----------

March 10, 2007

CD Review: Mike Upright (Plain, Simple, Good)

RATING: 3 1/2 Stars

Website: Click HERE
Producers: Mike Upright and Scott Barnett
Songs: "He Is Risen," "The Only Fire," "Narrow Minded," "The Visit," "I Have Not Forgotten," "Promised Land," "When The Sun Comes Up Tomorrow," "It's Bound To Be The Lord," "Too Much Time," and "What A Prayer Can Do"

The concept for Plain Simple Good is excellent and the execution, while short of perfect, is very good. This CD incorporates vintage guitars and other instruments to re-create a classic Country mood. A 1949 electric guitar, "one of the first microphones ever sung or played through at the Ryman Auditorium," and a well used steel guitar amp are mentioned in the liner notes.

Players on Plain Simple Good include Richard Putnam, Rick Murray, Mark Fain (bassist for Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder), and David Johnson. Holly Blanton (of 3 For 1) and Damon Roberts are on hand for background vocals. The artwork sells the classic concept of the recording with a photo of a vintage radio and art on the actual CD that looks like a vinyl record. Unfortunately, the liner notes don't provide specific details about which instruments and pieces of vintage recording equipment are used on each song. Songwriter information is also sadly neglected.

One track that immediately catches my attention is "I Have Not Forgotten." The Inspirations have this song at the top of the Singing News airplay chart for April 2007. Upright's version is fundamentally better. This is not due to his own vocal performance, primarily, but is more accurately attributed to the background vocals. The sweet quality of the layered voices is light years away from muscle clenching, tight-necked, strained tones. Other highlights from Upright's CD include an Easter song titled "He Is Risen;" "Narrow Minded," a cut about staying on the right path; and "Promised Land," a melody that may remind you of the 1960s war song, "Ballad Of The Green Berets."

Fans of classic Country/Western music will probably want to seek out a copy of Plain Simple Good. Upright's voice is like a lower pitched, poor man's version of Marty Robbins. A closer comparison to Upright in terms of vocal range is Ed Bruce. (Remember songs like "My First Taste Of Texas" and "The Last Cowboy Song?") Similar to Bruce and Robbins, Upright strikes a balance between ordinary vanilla diction and gross over-pronunciation. He has a storyteller quality in his delivery. Most Country artists would probably lean more towards a nasally Dwight Yoakam or Buck Owens vocal style for this collection of songs, but Upright gratefully never takes it that far.


Labels:

posted by David Bruce Murray @ 10:55:00 PM


Links to this post:

Create a Link



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?