Jun 26

Album Review: It’s in the Savior’s Hands (Inspirations)

Once a model of stability, the Inspirations have had a relative flurry of personnel changes in the last few years.  So much so, that the release of It’s in the Savior’s Hands marks the first time the legendary quartet has recorded consecutive studio albums with the same vocal lineup since the longstanding Archie Watkins/Matt Dibler/Melton Campbell/Mike Holcomb lineup released How Great It Is in 2008.  As I stated last year, the Jodi Hosterman/David Ragan/Jon Epley/Holcomb lineup is a significant vocal departure from the classic Inspirations sound dominated by Watkins’ power mountain tenor, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  In fact, It’s in the Savior’s Hands further solidifies the fact that the boys from Bryson City have their best vocal blend ever.

The newest Inspirations release has some things in common with last year’s stellar God Makes No Mistakes, which gives a sense of continuity with this vocal lineup.  Most importantly, the basic sound is still predominantly classic Inspirations.  The accompaniment is piano-dominated, with help from David Johnson’s assortment of acoustic stringed instruments.  This group, perhaps more than any other, is very committed to giving their fans what they’ve come to expect.  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is the prevailing attitude.  In a day when many groups are trying to test the waters of all kinds of sounds, with varied levels of success, the Inspirations are sticking with what they do best.  I don’t begrudge a group for getting outside their comfort zone, and there’s definitely a place for that, but I find myself refreshed and comforted when I pop in a new Inspirations CD, and that piano and steel guitar ring out again.

It’s clear from the first two albums by this lineup that the group recognizes the individual singers’ strengths, and utilizes them well.  Hosterman is not what you’d consider a big-time power tenor, so the slower, melodic ballads are suited for him.  Baritone Epley is at his best on the mid-tempo fare, while the fast songs are left for Ragan’s solid lead and Holcomb’s dependable bass.  Sometimes I think groups tend to overthink things…”well, we haven’t had a good bass-solo ballad in a while,” or “our lead’s gotta have a power ballad”.  Credit Martin Cook’s leadership and Jeff Collins’ production for putting the right songs in the right hands.

The major difference between last year’s release and It’s in the Savior’s Hands is the song choice.  While the former was composed almost entirely of new material, six of the ten songs on the newest release are songs the quartet has already recorded.  This was obviously a concerted effort to re-record material fans have not heard in a while, with a refreshing new vocal blend.  They are not normal covers like you’d find on any old album; they are all songs that the Inspirations were one of the earliest groups, or even the first group, to record and bring to the southern gospel masses.  Here’s a run-down of the re-cuts, and the previous Inspirations albums that contained them:

  • Look What I’m Trading for a Mansion – 20th Anniversary (1984)
  • He Looked Beyond My Fault – He’s Our Guide (1967)
  • In the Twinkle of an Eye – What a Day (2004)
  • He’ll Hold My Hand – Cool Water (1963), It’s Still the Blood (1987)
  • It Won’t Be Long – Singing in the Smokies Live (1980)
  • Shoutin’ Time – 12th Anniversary Live (1976)

The re-cuts stay remarkably true to the original Inspirations arrangements, but most of them just plain sound better with the new vocal blend.

The strongest of the re-cuts are the two uptempo, Mike Holcomb-led, convention-style songs.  I can’t really choose the strongest between “In the Twinkle of an Eye” and “It Won’t Be Long”.  The former has a more creative lyric and melody, while the latter is a more traditional convention number with some nice vocal moments.  Their common feature is that the Hosterman/Ragan/Epley trio, more elastic in their range, reach up for more impressive harmonies than on the original versions.  And you know you can’t go wrong when you turn Holcomb loose on songs like these.

The two weakest songs on the project are also among the re-cuts.  “He’ll Hold My Hand” and “Shoutin’ Time” are a little bit overdone for me personally, and there’s nothing in the cuts here that distinguishes them strongly from others.  That’s not to say they are bad; this vocal lineup sounds great on everything.  But the arrangements are not special.

The strongest songs on It’s in the Savior’s Hands are the four new cuts.  The opener, “I’ll Never Sail Alone,” is a straight-up, steel guitar-led, Inspirations quartet number.  They break out some counterpoint in the last chorus to add some good variety.  You’ll tap your toe, and you won’t be able to help it.  Along the same lines, but led by some light electric guitar as opposed to the steel, is “Lord, Stir the Wind”.  It is a Sandy Knight-penned plea for revival, with a festive quartet groove.

The title track is a wonderful Squire Parsons lyric, delivered expertly by Epley.  The newest Inspirations singer’s range approaches two octaves on this traditional mid-tempo number that has some Jeff Collins organ accompaniment along with his piano.  It is the project’s first single, and I would not be at all surprised to see it result in another Inspirations radio hit.

Finally, I’ve got to disagree with David Bruce Murray when he says that “no song” on the new project takes the quartet out of their normal territory.  I submit that the last of the new songs, “So Simple, So Profound,” might be the least “Inspirations-like” song the Inspirations have ever recorded.  Evidence: no piano!  David Johnson’s acoutic guitar is the only instrumentation on the track, making it sound more like something the Isaacs would sing than the Inspirations.  The result is a breathtaking acoustic ballad.  This is not a knock on anyone, but this is just not a song that Archie Watkins, Eddie Dietz, and Ron Hutchins could have sung, at least not with the smoothness of blend that these Inspirations employ.  The title of the song really says it all: take one simple instrument, a simple lyrical hook, and four voices singing with no frills, and you get something so profound that you would never expect on an Inspirations record.  I can see this going over very well in concert with instrumentalist Luke Vaught backing the quartet.  Or they could aptly do the whole thing a cappella.  The song is definitely worth your listen.

I believe the Inspirations are one of the best-sounding quartets on the road right now, and if you want traditional quartet singing, you’d be hard pressed to find it done any better.  It’s in the Savior’s Hands is not, for me, quite on the level of the 5-star God Makes No Mistakes from last year.  By trading a couple of the weaker re-cuts for more strong new songs, it may have gotten there.  Still, it is my favorite quartet recording of 2012 so far, and it’s definitely worth a look for any southern gospel fan.  By overlooking something you may think is too simple, you might lose out on something profound.

Album Rating: 4.5 stars

Song list:

  1. I’ll Never Sail Alone (Daryl Williams)
  2. Look What I’m Trading for a Mansion (Paul & Beverly Chitwood)
  3. He Looked Beyond My Fault (Dottie Rambo)
  4. In the Twinkle of an Eye (Sandy Knight)
  5. He’ll Hold My Hand (Henry Donohue)
  6. It Won’t Be Long (Charles Vaughn)
  7. It’s in the Savior’s Hands (Squire Parsons)
  8. Lord, Stir the Wind (Knight)
  9. So Simple, So Profound (Knight)
  10. Shoutin’ Time (Luther G. Presley)

Available at: Crossroads

 

Jun 21

A Mighty Fortress

As most of you are probably well aware, Greater Vision just re-released their epic Hymns of the Ages project with Chris Allman’s tenor vocals added.  If for some reason you never got this album the first time around, it’s an absolute must-have.  Even if you have the original version, I still think it’s worth the $10 download to get it again.  With soaring orchestral arrangements by the great Lari Goss, it tells the story of humanity from Creation until today, using classic hymns of the faith.  You probably didn’t notice that this project didn’t make my Top 100 countdown a while back.  I’ll go ahead and admit that was a mistake.  It has really grown on me in the last couple of months, and I now consider it one of my very favorites.

The project ends with a trio of songs that tell our story as Christians living in what I believe are the latter days of the church age: “I Know He Heard My Prayer,” “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” and a medley of songs that encourage us in the hope of the Second Coming, “In Times Like These/The Solid Rock/Jesus Is Coming Again”.

Every time I listen to the Hymns of the Ages project, I get chills all throughout that final trio of songs.  But yesterday, circumstances in my life drew special attention to the middle one.  Penned by the Reformation giant Martin Luther, it is a powerful message of God’s unfailing strength in our lives.  The lyrics paint an unpleasant picture of the world around us, but tell of the victory we find in Jesus Christ.  They just don’t write ’em like this anymore.  Here are the lyrics, as sung by Greater Vision:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
The Lord of Hosts, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us;
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

 

Let these words encourage your heart today.  God is your fortress, and you need not fear what’s going on around you!

 

Jun 13

The Playlist #3: Gospel Music

Gospel music serves many purposes in our lives.  We use it for entertainment, encouragement, inspiration, and evangelism.  Because of its wide influence on us physically, emotionally, and spiritually, gospel music is a special part of who we are.  What do gospel music songwriters do with things that are special to them?  They write songs about them!  Southern gospel is very much a self-aware genre.  I don’t know how prevalent it is in other genre’s, but gospel music contains plenty of songs about itself, and they can be an encouragement, too.

Here are some songs in my collection that speak of gospel music and how wonderful it is.  What are some of your favorites, listed here or not?

 

  1. Somebody Sing Me a Gospel Song, Gold City, Walk the Talk
  2. Good Ole Gospel Song, Dove Brothers, Unshakeable
  3. Songs of Old, Chuck Wagon Gang, I Have a Prayer
  4. Sing Me a Song About Jesus, Booth Brothers/Greater Vision/Legacy Five, Jubilee Two
  5. Sing Your Blues Away, Kingdom Heirs, Live at Dollywood
  6. I Always Have a Song to Sing, Mark Trammell Trio, Always Have a Song
  7. Turn Your Radio On, Cathedrals, An Old Convention Song
  8. Songs That Answer Questions, Gaither Vocal Band, Lovin’ God & Lovin’ Each Other
  9. Another Shoutin’ Hallelujah Gone to Meetin’ Song, Perrys, Come to the Fountain
  10. A Good Old Gospel Song, Gold City, What a Great Lifestyle
  11. Sing Me a Gospel Song, Inspirations, Sing Me a Gospel Song
  12. Songs We Used to Sing, Kingdom Heirs, Classics
  13. The Fa Sol La Song (Reverend Everette Beverly And Sister Anna Laura), Inspirations, Touring the City
  14. The Sweetest Song I Know, Mark Trammell Quartet, Vintage Gospel
  15. Your Blesser Ain’t Never Been Blessed, Cathedrals, Raise the Roof
  16. Sing One More Song About Heaven, Hinsons, One More Hallelujah!
  17. Somebody Sing, Legacy Five, Heroes of the Faith
  18. Songs of Zion, Tribute Quartet, The Waiting Is Over
  19. I’m Gonna Sing, Gaither Vocal Band, Everything Good
  20. An Old Convention Song, Cathedrals, Prestigious Cathedral Quartet
  21. He Keeps Me Singing, Gaither Homecoming Friends, A Billy Graham Homecoming: Volume Two
  22. A Good Old Gospel Song, Palmetto State Quartet, 50 Year Celebration
  23. God Gave the Song, Gaither Homecoming Friends, Freedom Band
  24. I Sing Because, Kingdom Heirs, True to the Call
  25. This Is the Time I Must Sing, Bill Gaither Trio, Jesus We Want to Thank You
  26. Real Good Feel Good Song, Kingsmen, Live in Dayton

Jun 06

“I’m Gonna Move” – The Bishops

Love this old Kenny Bishop song.  Gold City made it popular, but the Bishops sing it with a little more punch.


(I miss them….just not the mullets! 🙂 )

May 31

Album Review: Love Won (Talleys)

Since their last major release, big changes have taken place for one of gospel music’s most successful mixed groups.  Brian Alvey entered the family (via marriage to Lauren Talley) and ultimately entered the group, transforming the Talley Trio into the Talleys.  While I don’t think anyone held the belief that the addition would in any way hurt the music, one listen to Love Won is all you need to realize that the change is an absolute home run.

The added versatility of four vocalists shows up all over the recording.  True four-part harmony is most notable on the exquisite opening track, “We Want to Thank You”.  Lyrically and in pace it brings the classic “We Are So Blessed” to mind, but with ultra-smooth, modern harmonies.  The four voices go jazzy on an excellent upbeat cover of Gold City’s “Surely”.  The minor-key bridge is done first in unison, then turned around with a key change and repeated with a stellar harmony blend.  Those 15-20 seconds are a highlight of the album.  Lauren leads this one, and it’s my favorite kind of performance for her, right in her wheelhouse.  The expanded vocal lineup lends itself to the various configurations and keys used in “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”.  This isn’t my favorite song in the world musically, but it’s got a great lyric that is expertly and dramatically brought out by this arrangement.  DBM picked the right word when he called it “epic”.

It’s not just the fact that the number of vocalists increased that makes the addition of Alvey a home run.  He shines brightly as a featured vocalist on this recording.  Just about all of my top picks from the CD are his features.  Chief among them is one of my favorite tracks of the year so far, the sweeping mid-tempo power ballad “Make Way for the Master”.  This is easily a smash hit for the Talleys in my book.  With a great lyric based on the story of Bartimaeus, top-notch vocals, and an exhilarating ending, it’s just about perfect.  Another great radio single candidate is the slower and more low-key, but still powerful “Up Above”.    It’s a tremendous message of encouragement (think lyrically along the lines of the classic “Father Along”) with another flawless vocal by Alvey and the Talleys.

The spotlight is shined brightest on Alvey on “The Church Will Overcome,” a rollicking, soulful tune penned by Dianne Wilkinson.  There’s not much ensemble singing on it; it’s primarily Alvey with the other three vocalists filling the roles of backup singers.  But, my, do they let loose, especially on the last chorus, which is another one of those “moments” of the album.  The last feature for Alvey is a cover of a song from his time with Tribute Quartet, “That’s Why I Love Him So”.  With a simple country-style arrangement and a stirring lyric, it’s another choice cut, even if it is a cover.

I would be remiss to not mention that Brian Alvey also wrote or co-wrote three of the strongest songs on the album: “Make Way for the Master,” “We Want to Thank You,” and “That’s Why I Love Him So”.

Of course, there is plenty of spotlight for the other vocalists.  Besides “Surely,” Lauren is featured on several slower songs.  The best among these is the title track, a crucifixion/resurrection power ballad.  Among the several unique and well-executed musical twists on this song is the intro, with classical piano giving away to dramatic strings.  It has the most aggressive and innovative arrangement on the album.  “For Love He Gave” has a similar theme, but doesn’t pack as much punch.  Lauren’s other two features lean toward a progressive country sound.  I like the ballad “Love Covers All” a little better than the mid-tempo “Broken World,” but both sound like they would go over well on radio.  “Broken World” sounds like something out of the Rascal Flatts discography.

I know I said the same thing just last week, but upon repeated listenings since then, I now have to say that Love Won is my favorite album of 2012 so far.  With fantastic arrangements and performances, I have little doubt it will receive industry-wide recognition as one of the best of the year.  My only minor quibble is that, especially near the middle of the recording, it drags with some of the weaker songs.  Trading out one of those for one more strong uptempo number would have gotten it five stars with me.  But as it is, Love Won is a must-have recording.

Album Rating: 4.5 stars

Track list:

  1. We Want to Thank You (Brian Alvey)
  2. Love Won (Kenna Turner West/Belinda Cox/Jason Cox)
  3. Make Way for the Master (Alvey)
  4. Broken World (Tery Wilkins/Bev Herrema/Sean Smith)
  5. Every Scar (Jerry Salley/Gina Boe/Lee Black)
  6. Talk to the Lord About It (West/Rebecca Peck)
  7. Up Above (Peck)
  8. Surely (Daryl Williams)
  9. Great Love He Gave (Paula Stefanovich)
  10. The Church Will Overcome (Dianne Wilkinson)
  11. How Deep the Father’s Love for Us (Stuart Townsend)
  12. That’s Why I Love Him So (Alvey/Gary Casto)
  13. Love Covers All (West/Marty Funderburk/John Lemonis)

Available at: Crossroads, Talleys

May 25

A glimpse of the ‘new’ Kingsmen

Sounds good to me…

May 24

Album Review: Make Mine the Real Thing (Barry Rowland & Deliverance)

The name “Rowland” is as significant a name in the past 20-30 years of southern gospel as any other, primarily because of the songs written by Kyla Rowland.  After traveling and singing for many years herself, Kyla’s son Barry now carries the family tradition on the road, along with his wife, Tammy, and Shawn Rupert, as Barry Rowland & Deliverance.  Make Mine the Real Thing is the group’s sophomore release for Crossroads, and is their best recording effort yet.

It is no surprise at all that of the eleven tracks on the project, ten were penned by Kyla Rowland (the exception being the closing track, “One Prayer Away,” which sounds Kyla-esque anyway).  A couple of them have previous recordings I am aware of, most notably Gold City’s “God Handled It All,” but most of them were new to me.  With Mrs. Kyla featured prominently in the songwriting credits, the strength of this project is in the song quality.  Lyrically, the songs are bold in their honoring of Christ, and in their stand for old-fashioned Christianity.  Musically, there is a healthy dose of Mrs. Kyla’s bread-and-butter mid-tempo fare, but also a few slower ballads and a couple of faster numbers.  While the vocals are what some might consider “rough around the edges” in spots, I personally like their Appalachia-influenced style.  The trio blend is great, and the vocal style really makes the lyric accessible to the listener.

As a general principle, I tend to gravitate toward more uptempo songs, especially on a first listen for a project.  The four quickest songs on the album are also four of my favorites.  The opener, “He Took My Case,” is on the quick side of mid-tempo with a lyric speaking of the accessibility of our Great Physician.  Very similar in theme and sound is “What’s That for a Healer,” which emphasizes the power of that Great Physician.  Both of these “healer” songs have a bluegrass tinge.

It was a pleasant surprise to hear Kyla Rowland herself with a guest vocal on the outstanding “The Blood and Its Power,” which has an infectious country groove.  The lyric is a plea for someone to deliver an old-fashioned Gospel message about the blood of Jesus, not watered down.  I just enjoyed it the first time around, but on the second listen, I heard Mark Trammell clear as day in my mind singing this song.  If anybody associated with the Mark Trammell Quartet happens to read this, you’ve got another great Kyla Rowland song sittin’ right here for you.  Just joking about that, of course, but it is a great match, in my opinion.

The album’s most uptempo song is also probably the most familiar to listeners.  Gold City they are not, but Deliverance gives “God Handled It All” a very enjoyable treatment with an arrangement similar to that of the super-quartet.  This song is one of my all-time favorites, and they do nothing to diminish it with this rendition.

The strongest of the slower songs is “All Our Hope,” which is given a power ballad arrangement.  Anybody who thinks this trio is just some mountain singers they’ve never heard of, needs to listen to this performance, which is as good as anything a big-name mixed group may do.  Definitely not a run-of-the-mill Kyla Rowland song stylistically, it is a true standout.  With lyrics that showcase the limitless power of God in our lives, it’s sure to thrill your soul.

Two of the other strong ballads deal with Christ’s triumphant death and resurrection.  “He Crossed Out My Sin and Shame” follows a power ballad template, but, while good, never quite gets to the level of “All Our Hope”.  “But He Did” is a Daniel Mount-style “mellow” ballad with some beautiful echoes in the chorus.  It takes its lyrical cue from Paul’s encouraging words to those at the Corinthian church who were being made to doubt the possibility of resurrection (1 Cor. 15:16-20)

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

 

The three remaining slow songs all deal with prayer.  I promise I have nothing against prayer!  It just happens that those three are the weakest songs on the project for me.  They all have a good message, however.  “I Can Still Pray Through” is a song of victory over Satan through the power of prayer.  “One Prayer Away” speaks about how deliverance from sin and from trials can be accomplished through a prayer.  “My Prayers Are All Over You” should appeal strongly to mothers with wayward children.

While not necessarily my favorite song on the project, the title track “Make Mine the Real Thing” is a good summary of what you get with this album.  It has a lyric that champions old-fashioned salvation and laments the advent of modernized versions of Christianity.  We should all want our Christian lives to be the “real thing,” lined up with what the Bible teaches.

Similarly, you will find no watered-down Gospel on this project.  In an old-fashioned and no-nonsense style, these are real singers singing songs about a real Savior and a real salvation.  It all adds up to my favorite album of 2012 so far.  Last year I told you to give the “new” Inspirations a chance after their outstanding release, and I’ll tell you same thing about Barry Rowland & Deliverance.  Give them, and this CD, a chance, and I don’t think you’ll regret it.

 

Rating: 4.5 stars

 

Song List:

  1. He Took My Case (Kyla Rowland)
  2. I Can Still Pray Through (Rowland)
  3. All Our Hope (Rowland)
  4. Make Mine the Real Thing (Rowland)
  5. He Crossed Out My Sin and Shame (Rowland)
  6. What’s That for a Healer (Rowland)
  7. The Blood and Its Power (Rowland/Chris Binion)
  8. My Prayers Are All Over You (Rowland)
  9. God Handled It All (Rowland)
  10. But He Did (Rowland)
  11. One Prayer Away (Karen McPherson)

 

Available at: Crossroads, Barry Rowland & Deliverance