new CHRISTIAN-GOSPEL CDs
SPRING 2001
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new CHRISTIAN-GOSPEL CDs
LibraryPreviews.com NEWSletter
new CHRISTIAN-GOSPEL CDs
"A Billy Graham Music Homecoming, Vol. 1"
Bill & Gloria Gaither
Our price: $13.99 | You save: $2.99
available here.
A little over a year ago, some Southern gospel and contemporary
Christian legends gathered in a quaint and warm retreat nestled in
the mountains of North Carolina to pay tribute to evangelist Billy
Graham. The result is ably documented in the first and second
volumes of "Bill Gaither Presents: A Billy Graham Music Homecoming,"
a moving musical testament to America's most famous preacher. The
wide range of gifted artists who lend their support include the
Martins, Avalon, Ricky Skaggs, Cece Winans, Andrae Crouch, Michael
W. Smith, and gospel legends Vestal Goodman, Buddy Greene, and the
Talley Trio. With reverence and humility, these stars offer
heartfelt renditions of age-old classics.
"Hymns"
Shirley Caesar
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $2.99
available here.
In that same spirit, the first lady of gospel, Shirley Caesar,
breathes new life into 11 classics on her late-season release
"Hymns." In a career that has spanned four decades, Caesar has never
shied away from showing her roots, yet she continues to bring
contemporary relevance to her music. A good example is her duet with
(surprise) Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child) on the old spiritual
"Steal Away." Caesar's powerhouse versions of "Amazing Grace" and
"There Is Power in the Blood" will give you a sense of her exuberant
spirit and richly emotional vocals.
"God of Wonders"
Paul Baloche
Our price: $12.32
available here.
If you follow the contemporary praise-and-worship movement at all,
you'll recognize songs like "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and "Above
All." The author of these stirring songs is Paul Baloche, who
returns with "God of Wonders," a live release full of vertical and
majestic anthems. The musicianship that surrounds this charismatic
worship leader is first rate, and Baloche allows bandmates to
enhance each number with an airy and atmospheric appeal. Baloche's
melodic pop sensibilities shine through on songs like "Face to Face"
and "Stir Up a Hunger."
"Momentum"
TobyMac
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $2.99
available here.
If Michael Tait is the rocker and Kevin "Max" Smith is the artist,
then Toby McKeehan is dc Talk's conscience, keeping the world-famous
trio grounded in streetwise smarts. Proof positive is Toby Mac's
"Momentum," a massive maelstrom of sound that blasts a message of
hip-hop reality through a God filter. While some of the lyric is
brutal in its painting of daily life, Toby Mac always points toward
hope and a better tomorrow. His message to the masses (besides
"coming atcha like a whirlwind") speaks of a God who works beyond
social classes and society's stereotypes. Toby Mac employs his
extensive production skills wisely, offering a seamless sampling of
street sounds in a melodic manner.
"Lift"
Audio Adrenaline
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $2.99
available here.
And speaking of melodies, none come much sweeter than the ones
found on Audio Adrenaline's new CD, "Lift." The fresh-faced rockers
from Kentucky give us their best effort to date, showing brilliance
with just about every track. While the group has toned down some of
its funky groove, there's still enough "uh-huh" to make heads bob
and feet move. After their lengthy headlining slot in Festival con
Dios, the band's chops are also tighter than ever. While his
scratchy and soulful vocals still rock, Mark Stuart now rightfully
shares the limelight with his Adrenaline chums. Beautiful melodies
and hooks abound throughout "Lift," a must-have release.
IT'S GRAMMY TIME
It's Grammy time again, and the recently released list of Grammy
Award nominees leaves us, as usual, scratching our heads. While Big
Tent Revival's "Live" release is certainly an enjoyable collection,
why is it in the Rock Gospel category? For that matter, could
someone please explain the inclusion of dc Talk's "Solo" EP? More
deserving would be Tait's fiery debut, "Empty"; Third Day's
brilliant "Come Together"; or P.O.D.'s rock-de-force "Satellite"
(whose "Alive" track was nominated for "Best Hard Rock
Performance"). The Pop/Contemporary nominees make more sense, with
Steven Curtis Chapman's emphatic "Declaration" and Nicole C.
Mullen's lively "Talk About It" leading the charge. But what about
the overwhelming but unheralded return of PFR and their outstanding
"Disappear" release?
The "Billy Graham Music Homecoming, Vol. 1" release from Bill and
Gloria Gaither and friends leads the Southern/Country/Bluegrass
Gospel category along with the unusual but entertaining duo of Merle
Haggard and Albert E. Brumley Jr. on "Two Old Friends." The
Traditional Soul Gospel Album category is strong with the critically
acclaimed "Spirit of the Century" release from the Blind Boys of
Alabama, Shirley Caesar's moving "Hymns," and Richard Smallwood and
Vision's urban praise disc "Persuaded: Live in D.C." Yolanda Adams's
masterful "The Experience" and Fred Hammond's bountiful "In Case You
Missed It... And Then Some" head up the Contemporary Soul Gospel
Album category. You'll also find many familiar favorites in the
Gospel Choir/Chorus category, with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir,
the LFT Church Choir, and the Potter's House Mass Choir represented.
ESSENTIAL RECORDINGS BY THE STAPLE SINGERS
"Freedom Highway"
The Staple Singers
Our price: $11.98
available here.
Formed by Roebuck "Pops" Staples in Chicago in the early 1950s, the
Staple Singers had a distinctive, blues-based, eerily beautiful take
on gospel and spirituals. Their earliest recordings reveal a fully
developed signature sound: Pops's reverb-laden guitar lines snake in
and out of Cleotha and Mavis's full-throated but slow-tempo singing.
The band preached civil-rights-influenced folk-gospel sermons in the
1960s and tight gospel-funk ones throughout the 1970s. Here are
their essential recordings.
available here.
A little over a year ago, some Southern gospel and contemporary Christian legends gathered in a quaint and warm retreat nestled in the mountains of North Carolina to pay tribute to evangelist Billy Graham. The result is ably documented in the first and second volumes of "Bill Gaither Presents: A Billy Graham Music Homecoming," a moving musical testament to America's most famous preacher. The wide range of gifted artists who lend their support include the Martins, Avalon, Ricky Skaggs, Cece Winans, Andrae Crouch, Michael W. Smith, and gospel legends Vestal Goodman, Buddy Greene, and the Talley Trio. With reverence and humility, these stars offer heartfelt renditions of age-old classics.
"Hymns"
Shirley Caesar
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $2.99
available here.
In that same spirit, the first lady of gospel, Shirley Caesar,
breathes new life into 11 classics on her late-season release
"Hymns." In a career that has spanned four decades, Caesar has never
shied away from showing her roots, yet she continues to bring
contemporary relevance to her music. A good example is her duet with
(surprise) Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child) on the old spiritual
"Steal Away." Caesar's powerhouse versions of "Amazing Grace" and
"There Is Power in the Blood" will give you a sense of her exuberant
spirit and richly emotional vocals.
"God of Wonders"
Paul Baloche
Our price: $12.32
available here.
If you follow the contemporary praise-and-worship movement at all,
you'll recognize songs like "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and "Above
All." The author of these stirring songs is Paul Baloche, who
returns with "God of Wonders," a live release full of vertical and
majestic anthems. The musicianship that surrounds this charismatic
worship leader is first rate, and Baloche allows bandmates to
enhance each number with an airy and atmospheric appeal. Baloche's
melodic pop sensibilities shine through on songs like "Face to Face"
and "Stir Up a Hunger."
"Momentum"
TobyMac
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $2.99
available here.
If Michael Tait is the rocker and Kevin "Max" Smith is the artist,
then Toby McKeehan is dc Talk's conscience, keeping the world-famous
trio grounded in streetwise smarts. Proof positive is Toby Mac's
"Momentum," a massive maelstrom of sound that blasts a message of
hip-hop reality through a God filter. While some of the lyric is
brutal in its painting of daily life, Toby Mac always points toward
hope and a better tomorrow. His message to the masses (besides
"coming atcha like a whirlwind") speaks of a God who works beyond
social classes and society's stereotypes. Toby Mac employs his
extensive production skills wisely, offering a seamless sampling of
street sounds in a melodic manner.
"Lift"
Audio Adrenaline
Our price: $14.99 | You save: $2.99
available here.
And speaking of melodies, none come much sweeter than the ones
found on Audio Adrenaline's new CD, "Lift." The fresh-faced rockers
from Kentucky give us their best effort to date, showing brilliance
with just about every track. While the group has toned down some of
its funky groove, there's still enough "uh-huh" to make heads bob
and feet move. After their lengthy headlining slot in Festival con
Dios, the band's chops are also tighter than ever. While his
scratchy and soulful vocals still rock, Mark Stuart now rightfully
shares the limelight with his Adrenaline chums. Beautiful melodies
and hooks abound throughout "Lift," a must-have release.
IT'S GRAMMY TIME
It's Grammy time again, and the recently released list of Grammy Award nominees leaves us, as usual, scratching our heads. While Big Tent Revival's "Live" release is certainly an enjoyable collection, why is it in the Rock Gospel category? For that matter, could someone please explain the inclusion of dc Talk's "Solo" EP? More deserving would be Tait's fiery debut, "Empty"; Third Day's brilliant "Come Together"; or P.O.D.'s rock-de-force "Satellite" (whose "Alive" track was nominated for "Best Hard Rock Performance"). The Pop/Contemporary nominees make more sense, with Steven Curtis Chapman's emphatic "Declaration" and Nicole C. Mullen's lively "Talk About It" leading the charge. But what about the overwhelming but unheralded return of PFR and their outstanding "Disappear" release?
The "Billy Graham Music Homecoming, Vol. 1" release from Bill and Gloria Gaither and friends leads the Southern/Country/Bluegrass Gospel category along with the unusual but entertaining duo of Merle Haggard and Albert E. Brumley Jr. on "Two Old Friends." The Traditional Soul Gospel Album category is strong with the critically acclaimed "Spirit of the Century" release from the Blind Boys of Alabama, Shirley Caesar's moving "Hymns," and Richard Smallwood and Vision's urban praise disc "Persuaded: Live in D.C." Yolanda Adams's masterful "The Experience" and Fred Hammond's bountiful "In Case You Missed It... And Then Some" head up the Contemporary Soul Gospel Album category. You'll also find many familiar favorites in the Gospel Choir/Chorus category, with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, the LFT Church Choir, and the Potter's House Mass Choir represented.
ESSENTIAL RECORDINGS BY THE STAPLE SINGERS
"Freedom Highway"
The Staple Singers
Our price: $11.98
available here.
Formed by Roebuck "Pops" Staples in Chicago in the early 1950s, the
Staple Singers had a distinctive, blues-based, eerily beautiful take
on gospel and spirituals. Their earliest recordings reveal a fully
developed signature sound: Pops's reverb-laden guitar lines snake in
and out of Cleotha and Mavis's full-throated but slow-tempo singing.
The band preached civil-rights-influenced folk-gospel sermons in the
1960s and tight gospel-funk ones throughout the 1970s. Here are
their essential recordings.
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