I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now - Yes, longtime SoGo fans are going to instantly recognize this Happy Goodman classic from days gone by. Big fans who know and listen to all the smaller gospel groups whose name wouldn’t sound familiar to a casual listener will probably remember that the LeFevre Quartet and the Perrys recorded it more recently. And now…Canton Junction. I’m going to use a term that I don’t use very often, but think is appropriate to describe the music. It rocks. I’m sure the piano was smoking by the time the song was done. Of course, we can’t forget about the guitars that lend a heavier sound to the song. Even the drum track shouldn’t be overlooked, especially on the chorus where it kicks into high gear.
Heaven Is - If I had to summarize this song in one sentence, I would probably say "country meets praise and worship." There are different aspects from each style infused into this song. It actually makes for a really interesting - and really good - song. It's not super fast, but it's not real slow either. It's definitely one of my favorite upper-tempo songs.
Who Am I - My biggest (and only) complaint about this song is that the tempo is undeniably, completely and without question way too slow. I don’t think the group should be singing along at 70 MPH because it’s not that kind of song. But it still is extremely slow which is a shame because otherwise, it’s a great song. The music starts out with a bluesy feeling, and turns into something more like a ballad near the end. Some great singing on the part of the group members, I must say.
Go Tell It On the Mountain - Yes, I know it’s not Christmas time. And hey, don’t try to deny it, when you saw the title, you thought something to the effect of “a Christmas song? Well, that’s different.” I was surprised to hear it. It sounded out of place. But it’s a great song, even if it’s coming a little early. I think it comes closer than any other version I’ve heard to satisfying my musical tastes. And I gotta say, I love the part at the end of the second verse where the whole group comes in to echo “that blessed Christmas morn.” That wasn’t the only time during the CD where I thought, “hey, they sound like the Gaither Vocal Band!”
Coming Home - This song is about completely the opposite of the last. It's very calm and peaceful. I personally like the chorus the best. A find that in a lot of songs, the chorus sticks out to me because of mainly the tune. This is one of those songs. The music has a bit of a lonely feeling. It sort of sounds like what you might hear in a movie. In a scene where the protagonist is out in the desert all alone contemplating life or resigning himself to the fact that he's hopelessly lost and is going to die. :D Sorry, that's the best I can do to describe the tone.
Softly and Tenderly - OK, I know a couple song reviews back I said that the group sounded like the GVB. Well, on this track I’m picking up Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. Not sure if anybody else heard these similarities or not. And yes, I know Tim Duncan used to be with EH&SS, but it’s not just him. This is a very soft, pretty song. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a gospel group sing this although I’m sure they have. It’s a nice change of pace from some of the faster upbeat tracks, though I enjoyed those immensely. Of course, this is a classic song for altar services and evangelistic pleas, so it’s a different tone from former said songs.
Disc 2:
Sweeter As the Days Go By - Many of my readers have probably already seen the video of this song. The song was recorded live so what you hear on the video is what you hear on the CD. Go see what you think. I loved hearing Tim Duncan take the second verse. Oh, and then whichever guy took off at the chorus probably deserves an accolade or two. :D The crowd just loved them!
What a Wonderful World - This song isn’t exactly Christian. It’s a secular song in that it never mentions God or Jesus or Heaven or anything religious. It just talks about different good things about the world. The tune is good, it’s an OK song.
Glorify - Three words to describe this song? Wow. Totally awesome. This could very well be the best slow song on this project, counting both CDs. I could see someone saying that it's too repetitive, especially on the chorus, but I don't mind that so much. It's a great tune, and the background music makes the song sound really good, particularly near the end.
Dig A Little Deeper - I don’t believe I’ve ever heard this song non-accapella style - or in other words without a soundtrack or background instruments - until now. I don’t like this song as well as some of the others that the group did. The chorus is good, but in my opinion, I think the guys need to calm down a little on the verse.
Since Jesus Came Into My Heart - This is another one of my favorite hymns to hear. It has a country flavor here. Nobody gets a solo on either verse. Pretty basic arrangement, and they go for an encore at the end. Not a particularly outstanding track, but good nonetheless.
Hold On - I could definitely see the Gaither Vocal Band doing this song pretty much exactly like Canton Junction. There is a lot of similarities between the groups here too. I don’t really care for this song. I think "Sweeter As the Days Go By" is definitely the best fast song on Disc 2.
Comments:
This CD is definitely a great start for Canton Junction. They seem to have taken on a country feel infused with a couple other genres such as blues, praise and worship, and western as their main style. It makes a very interesting CD. I would recommend this project pretty highly to those of you who are searching for some new music to add to your collection.
CD Rating: 4 stars
Favorite Songs: “Heaven Is,” “Glorify,” “I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now”
Main Styles: Mainly country
Song List: Disc 1: I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now, Show Me Your Way, Heaven Is, The Son Shines Down On Me, Who Am I, Go Tell It On the Mountain, Coming Home, Softly and Tenderly, The Inviting Christ, My Saviour’s Love Disc 2: Sweeter As the Days Go By, You Are So Beautiful, What a Wonderful World, Glorify, Dig a Little Deeper, Going Home, Since Jesus Came Into My Heart, In the Valley He Restoreth My Soul, Hold On, Smile
Review copy provided by Difference Media
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