Review: Collingsworth Family "Part of the Family"

Many of you may remember that I already reviewed Part of the Family back in September.  I wasn't satisfied with that post though.  It was very non-descriptive, boring, and bad all around.  So I decided to write the review again.  Hopefully, this will be better than the last.  ;)  I have some other reviews planned such as Tim Duncan's solo CD, and perhaps Libbi Perry Stuffle's Journey, but I haven't finished these yet.  Hopefully I can post them soon!

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God’s Family - There are several songs on this CD that don’t really stand out. This Lanny Wolf number is one of them. It’s certainly better than say, "Nothing’s Worrying Me," or "Jesus Is All I Need," but it won’t be remembered as a classic. I wish that the producers had decided to include the chorus "Family of God" in this arrangement, but for some reason (perhaps partly due to time concerns) they left it out.

That’s the Place I’m Longing to Go - This song is for those that enjoy mellow, acoustic numbers. It’s sort of comforting, not fast or rocky in the least. It even showcases the family singing part of the chorus in accapella style. It’s maybe not the strongest ballad on the CD, but it’s good nonetheless.

Joy Unspeakable - Written by Bill and Gloria Gaither, this is a brassy up-tempo number. You could compare this to “Not the Same” on the 2007 release We Still Believe. This song isn’t incredibly well-done IMO, but it‘s not a bad song.

Jesus Is All I Need - I enjoyed this song better when I saw it performed live at a Collingsworth concert. When simply listening to it, it tends to drag on. It’s a very slow Caleb Collins/Wayne Haun melody. Kim is highlighted during most of the verses. Part of the song “He’s All I Need” is sung at the end.

Nothing’s Worrying Me - Brooklyn leads this jazzy number, and the family provides backup vocals. The lyrics could be loosely compared to those in “I Know” from the 2009 The Answer release. This song isn’t a very strong one. I don’t particularly like the style in which Brooklyn sings.

Tell the Mountain - Phillip takes the lead on this country-flavored number and is joined by his sisters for part of the second verse. Some great power singing is featured at the end of the second verse. This is the strongest up-tempo song on the CD with perhaps the exception of “Just Another Rainy Day.”

I Pray - This is another acoustic ballad, which showcases the youngest member of the family, Olivia. It’s already been said that Olivia has proven herself as a capable vocalist. This is a valid statement. Although her voice isn’t as mature as her sisters or her mom, she still is able to hold her own.

At Calvary - This is a beautiful rendition of the well-known hymn “At Calvary,” which was written by Marty Millikin. The music is pretty light at the beginning, but by the end turns into a power ballad. The first verse highlights what sounds like the whole family, the second verse showcases Kim and the older girls, the third is handled by Phillip (he’s joined by Brooklyn and Courtney), and the fourth is, again, the whole family. This is one of the best ballads on the CD, and will surely be enjoyed.  The soundtrack alternates between soft light music with minimal orchestration to huge power ballad.

I Found It All - Courtney leads this song, while Phillip and Brooklyn provide back-up singing. It’s another beautiful ballad that has softer music and a great message. The chorus says:

I found it all, when I lost everything and gave my life to serve a risen king
I found the truth that I’d been searching for, I found it all when I found the Lord

Just Another Rainy Day - This is probably the most fun up-tempo song on Part of the Family. This is also the Collingsworth’s most progressive, rocky song to date. Phillip sings the first verse, and his sisters take over for the second. I believe I’ve read that this was formerly sung by LordSong and the Crabb Family.

Praise You - This song has comparatively soft orchestration and moves along at a medium pace. If I remember correctly, it’s a relatively obscure Gaither melody, one that’s deserving of attention when sung by the Collingsworth Family. The only other recorded version of this song that I own was sung by the Reflection Trio on their The Anchor Holds album. This version is better, both musically and vocally.

Resurrection Morn - Once again the Collingsworth have come off with an excellent power ballad. “Resurrection Morn” is beautifully orchestrated and is arguably the best down-tempo number on Part of the Family. The family’s early ballads weren’t incredible, but somehow in their recent albums they have found a way to create multiple winners in the power ballad category.

Comments:
The Collingsworth Family is an excellent family group, IMO, one of the best groups in Southern Gospel music. Every one of the children, from Brooklyn to Olivia, have proven themselves as capable singers. They didn’t disappoint their fans with this release. While I do have a couple of criticisms after listening to the whole thing, it’s still an excellent album that has many outstanding songs.

I would have liked to see a stronger up-tempo number in place of “Joy Unspeakable,” and I also would have liked to hear at least one piano solo (I’m glad though that they didn’t have a lot of instrumentals though) As one blogger said, (and I paraphrase), “who wants to hear instrumentals when you have these kinds of voices?”

Although I really enjoyed a lot of the songs from the Collingsworth Family’s last CD The Answer, and might have to say that was a stronger album as a whole, I would recommend Part of the Family as one of the best CD releases of 2011. And when you see some of these songs performed live…well, it’s a wonderful experience.

CD Rating: 4-4.5 stars
Favorite Songs: Tell the Mountain, Just Another Rainy Day, I Found It All, Resurrection Morn, At Calvary