Jun 27

Song Request

I recently had a request from a reader looking for a song to use in a screenplay. Before I chime in with my thoughts, would love to get some of your opinions on what would be great songs to recommend. Here was what was requested of me:

Hi – I am writing a movie set in the early 1900s in the US. I am wondering if you would recommend a hauntingly spiritual song that has dirge like qualities that has some solo parts – needs to be very moving to hear. Thank you for your expertise on this.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Jun 27

Cathedrals – He Didn’t Come Down

Life has been busy the last week or so, but felt like sharing a song from one of the greatest quartet lineups in SG history.  What a great song!

Jun 24

A Minor Post

Life’s been busy lately, but I wanted to get something in this week to entertain you loyal readers. I was listening to some King’s Gold on the way to work this morning, and heard the King’s Gold 2 version of “The Judgement”. It got me to thinking about songs in a minor key. It’s not something you hear a whole lot of in gospel music, since most of our songs are of a cheery nature. Minor keys pretty much always create a feeling of sadness, or even impending doom.

Probably one of the most notable uses of a minor key in southern gospel is the second verse of “We Shall See Jesus”. Another example of using it for a single verse is in most of Gaither’s arrangements of “It Is Finished”. Some others that came to mind immediately were the Kingdom Heirs’ “Where’s John” from their most recent album, and “Everybody’s Gonna Have a Terrible Time Down There,” Lee Roy Abernathy’s lesser-loved inverse song.

How many can you come up with? Are there any examples of using a minor key when the message is not sad or foreboding?

And if you dare, that lyrical masterpiece:

Jun 16

Album Review: The Only Way (Greater Vision)

One of the most anticipated releases of 2011 is Greater Vision’s first mainstream label release because of the return of the group’s original tenor vocalist, Chris Allman.  20+ years ago, Southern Gospel fans were introduced to an upcoming trio featuring 2 established artists, powerhouse vocalist, Gerald Wolfe and ‘Quartet-man’, Mark Trammell, along with newcomer, Chris Allman.  Trammell was soon replaced by songwriter extraordinaire, Rodney Griffin in 1993 and then Allman left in 1995.  Now Allman rejoins Wolfe and Griffin to bring us this new project from the Daywind label, The Only Way.

1. He Didn’t When He Could’ve Passed By (Rodney Griffin)

Adam: This song opens the project with a feel similar to their hit “Paid In Full Through Jesus, Amen”.  To me the first song on a project sets the tone for the remainder of the tracks.  Gerald Wolfe & Chris Allman alternate the lead vocals on this uptempo track telling us the story of how that Jesus could have passed by so many people that He performed miracles on.  But instead of walking on past those in need, “He Didn’t When He Could’ve Passed By”.  I can imagine that this will be a good Top 10 radio single, although probably not #1 material. This was an excellent kick-off to a really good project.

Brian: To me, the obvious comparison here is “He’d Still Been God”.  I don’t think this is quite as good as that Greater Vision classic, but it is a good, energetic start to the CD.  I like the concept and the well-executed lyric. Continue reading

Jun 15

Album Review: God Makes No Mistakes (Inspirations)

In 2008, after nine consecutive albums with the same vocal lineup, a period of transition began for the Inspirations. Most impactful on the sound, of course, was the exit of original tenor Archie Watkins. Three years later, three fourths of the vocal lineup has changed, with longtime bass Mike Holcomb being the only mainstay. Each album since 2008’s How Great It Is has sounded a little different, and moved the quartet somewhat away from the classic mountain sound whose linchpin was Watkins. With God Makes No Mistakes, the transition is complete.

Before you go off telling your mama and grandpa that the Inspirations have gone “modern”, I assure you that the songs, arrangements, and instrumentation are still easily identifiable with the consistent Inspirations sound. The music is still built primarily around a piano, with a healthy dose of steel guitar and bluegrass instruments. The lyrics are still down-to-earth and rooted in strong Biblical doctrine.

But vocally, this is a completely different quartet than the Inspirations of yesteryear. Jodi Hosterman, on his second album with the quartet, really makes his mark on this project, and is the primary force behind the vocal shift. I don’t think you could find more opposite tenors than Archie Watkins and Jodi Hosterman. But, surprise…it works. I’ve got every Inspirations project going back to the 1980s, and some even before that, and in my opinion, the quartet has never sounded any better than they do on this album. The youth movement of Hosterman, David Ragan on lead, and new baritone Jon Epley, along with the familiar foundation of Holcomb, has breathed new life into the Inspirations sound, and that is on full display with God Makes No Mistakes.

Speaking of Epley, the newest vocalist in the quartet is featured prominently throughout the project, with solo verses on “My Lord Is Taking Good Care of Me”, “Why We Came Here”, and “Nothing Less Than Grace”. He has a distinctive baritone voice when singing his solos, and blends in perfectly when singing with the quartet.

Including the three mentioned above, eight of the songs on the project are uptempo. While all of them are enjoyable to me, the strongest are “Living in the Land of Canaan”, “Talk About Dying”, and “He Made a Way”. “Living…” is an infectious toe-tapper with just a couple of twists that will make you say “the old Inspirations wouldn’t have done that”. “Talk About Dying” and “He Made a Way” both feature Holcomb stepping out in the chorus, and both show off some of the highest notes the Inspirations have sung in their trio blend.

While the uptempo songs dominate the project quantitatively, it’s the two ballads that really set this album apart for me. Both of them feature Hosterman, and both are songs that you would have a hard time imagining the Inspirations singing with any previous lineup of vocalists. “God Makes No Mistakes”, perhaps not so coincidentally the project’s first single, is the strongest song on the album, and probably the most touching new song I’ve heard this year. Put Holcomb’s first verse in context with the tragic circumstances he and his family have experienced recently, and you cannot help but be moved. While not quite as strong a song, “I Choose the Lord” is the biggest departure on the project from the classic Inspirations sound, with great effect.

The Inspirations have not made, and probably will never make, a wholesale change to their sound and image. They don’t want that, and their fans don’t want that. You’re not going to like this project if you have to have big orchestrated ballads, or a driving country rhythm. But if you’ve never given the Inspirations a chance before, or you have and it didn’t stick, this is a fine opportunity to revisit them. Longtime Inspirations fans will be delighted with this new, youthful, energetic version of the sound with which they are familiar. And I think the Inspirations just might pick up a few new fans along the way.

Album rating: 5 stars

Song list:
1. My Lord Is Taking Good Care of Me (Stacy Pearcy)
2. There’s Something About a Prayer (Barbara Huffman, Scott Inman)
3. God Makes No Mistakes (Pearcy)
4. He Got Up (Joseph Habedank, Matthew Holt)
5. He Made a Way (Squire Parsons)
6. Why We Came Here (Habedank, Nick Trammell)
7. Talk About Dying (Tim Wilson)
8. Nothing Less Than Grace (Rodney Griffin)
9. Living in the Land of Canaan (Van Mitchell)
10. I Choose the Lord (Pearcy)

Available: Crossroads

Jun 13

Album Review: Treasures (Mark Trammell Quartet)

The Mark Trammell Quartet’s latest offering, Treasures, is a table project composed of songs previously recorded by the Cathedral Quartet. It seems Cathedrals tributes have been en vogue lately, but this particular project differentiates itself enough to be a worthwhile addition to any gospel music lover’s collection.

The songs selected for the project span multiple Cathedrals eras. Only half of the twelve songs were recorded by the Cathedrals when Mark Trammell was traveling with them. In fact, the only song contained within that was originally a Trammell feature is his signature “Master Builder,” which has an arrangement pretty much identical to Mark’s other recordings of it. There are three songs that pre-date the Trammell era of the Cathedrals (“Gentle Shepherd”, “I’ll Have a New Life”, and “Then I Met the Master”) and three songs that were recorded after Trammell left the legendary quartet (“Echoes from the Burning Bush”, “That Day at Calvary”, and “I Thirst”). The variety in the song selection is a definite plus.

The arrangements, for the most part, stay very true to the original Cathedrals arrangements, by design. The most notable exception is “Statue of Liberty”, with a sweeping Lari Goss-orchestrated track, originally used on a recent Couriers project, that puts the part of the second verse in a minor key.

Five of the songs feature Pat Barker prominently, and he does not disappoint. He is certainly a worthy heir to Younce’s vocal supremacy among basses in gospel music. His performance on “I Thirst” is one of the highlights of the project. He also rivals Younce with his solos on “Wedding Music” and “Old Convention Song”, and step-out lines on “Echoes from the Burning Bush” and “I’ll Have a New Life”. The other solo features are handled by Trammell (“Master Builder”, “Then I Met the Master”, and “That Day at Calvary”), while the remaining songs are sung in ensemble.

Other highlights of note include energetic deliveries of “Bloodwashed Band” and “Boundless Love”, and the two live cuts (“Gentle Shepherd” and “Old Convention Song”), with Gerald Wolfe on piano, recorded during the quartet’s recent DVD taping.

There’s really nothing not to like with Treasures, unless you just don’t like Cathedrals music at all, in which case I don’t know why you’re even reading this blog! As with any compilation of classics, song selection is the key, and there is an excellent variety of styles and Cathedrals eras present. As you would expect with any Mark Trammell Quartet recording, the vocal performances are top notch. Treasures is a well-executed tribute that any fan of southern gospel music should enjoy very much.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Song list:
1. Echoes from the Burning Bush
2. Gentle Shepherd (live cut)
3. Bloodwashed Band
4. That Day at Calvary
5. I’ll Have a New Life/Everybody Will Be Happy Over There
6. Statue of Liberty
7. An Old Convention Song (live cut)
8. I Thirst
9. Master Builder
10. Wedding Music
11. Then I Met the Master
12. Boundless Love

Available: MTQ website or a Mark Trammell Quartet concert near you.

Jun 08

Greater Vision: More & More Like You

I love this old song by Greater Vision.  Would love to hear it brought back into their current repertoire.