Lovin' God & Lovin' Each Other is thirteen cuts of the smooth harmony and exciting arrangements we've come to expect from the Gaither Vocal Band. Five of the tunes were previously released on the live album, Back Home In Indiana, but each of those songs is more polished here and the distracting applause is gone. Lovin' God & Lovin' Each Other releases for sale to the public in mid-July 1997.
There are few (if any) musical surprises. "Singin' With The Saints" and "Promises One By One" have a driving modern country treatment. "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go" has a nostalgic feel with a string section and brushes on the snare drum. "In That Great Gettin' Up Morning" is a cappella with percussion accompaniment. But the title cut, "I Believe In A Hill Called Mount Calvary," "At The Cross," and "I'll Worship Only At The Feet Of Jesus" are all in the slow/dramatic inspirational style that has successfully garnered the Gaither Vocal Band substantial airplay, sales and acclaim in the past with tunes like "The King Is Coming" and "Count On Me." The Gaither Vocal Band has learned that like Coca-Cola, some formulas are better left alone.
With thirteen tunes, Lovin' God & Lovin' Each Other is a satisfying mix of new songs and standards. "Palms Of Victory," "Happy Rhythm," and the hymn "At The Cross" have all been Gaitherized. "Happy Rhythm" is slightly slower than tradtion has dictated previously, and sounds fresh as a result.
A bit of Lowry/Gaither humor comes through on "Songs That Answers Questions." The song is whimsical to begin with, talking of the need to be a true witness rather than writing "songs that answer questions that nobody's even asking anyhow." It stresses each Christian's place in the body of Christ, and Mark Lowry's line is "I'm the chin" followed by Bill Gaither's line "and I'm the nose."
Lovin' God & Lovin' Each Other should delight Gaither fans. It's nice to see them giving the buyer nearly 50 minutes of music on this release, above and beyond the industry standard of ten three and a half minute tunes. Maybe more artists will follow this example in the future.