Review: Assurance "Holy Is Thy Name"

Pros:

• The group has great harmony.  You can really tell when they sing accapella on songs like "Blessed Assurance."
• While there's not very many up-tempo numbers, the few that are included are good.  "Blood-Washed Band" is the best fast song, and the best version I've ever heard.

Cons:

• The project would have benefited from more fast songs.  There were only two, which is a pretty poor number when compared with 7-8 ballads.
• The percussion section needs to be louder, and perhaps used more than it is.
• There are quite a few songs on this project that have been sung by major groups (Legacy Five, the Hoppers, the Cathedrals)  However, I'm not sure if this should be considered a negative element, because the songs are really good, and sound different (and in most cases) better than the other versions.

Notes:
The music is very "guitar based."  It provides a unique sound, one that isn't captured very often by Southern Gospel groups.  It's sort of refreshing, although I do miss the orchestration on some songs.  ;)

I would have made several changes if I had created the CD, but the producers did a good job with what they decided to put in.  This is a nice CD to listen to when you're kind of burned out with your regular collection.  If you want something lighter, consider Holy Is Thy Name.

CD Rating: 4 stars
Song Selection: 3 stars
Favorite Songs: Blood Washed Band, I Have Seen the Light, Redemption Draweth Nigh, I've Got That Old Time Religion (There are a couple others, but these are probably the best)

Track List: Blessed Assurance, Blood Washed Band, Haven of Rest, His Name is Wonderful, Holy Is Thy Name, I Believe in the Old Time Religion, I Have Seen the Light, I Am, I've Got That Old Time Religion, Redemption Draweth Nigh 


(NOTE: I don't have a list of the title tracks, so some of the titles are named from lines in the song, but may, in reality, be different.)

Short Review: "Knowing You" (Faith Trio)

Pros:

• The music is pretty good, although a lot of the songs aren't on the scale I'd like them to be.
• Although I'm not completely pleased with the song selection on Knowing You, it does have some really great songs.  ("Were It Not For Grace," "Knowing You," "Heritage of Holiness," ect.)
• The percussion has improved since the last CD.  (The Anchor Holds)  GBS seems to have used that guitar (that  was so annoying when played on every song) much less sparingly.  Thank goodness!

Cons:

• As this CD was produced by the same studio/people that made The Anchor Holds,  it does have one of the same problems.  And that's the piano.  A real piano, or a realistic-sounding keyboard would help the songs sound better.
• Although I am pleased with some of the songs on the CD, I do not like some of the others.  For example, "Broken and Spilled Out" is nearly eight minutes long (7:54), and it's pretty boring.  "All Of Me," and "Abide in Me," though not as long, are still not very fun to listen to.  They're slow, tend to drag on, and aren't heavily orchestrated.

At least a couple of the songs should have more accompaniment/orchestration.  If I could pick two to arrange the music for, (if I could arrange that is!) they would be "Were It Not For Grace," and "Knowing You."
There aren't enough fast, fun songs.  There's four if you count "Heritage of Holiness."
IMO, "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow" was kind of wasted space, as they sang it accapella.

Comments:
Knowing You is a good CD, but it's not on the scale of most Southern Gospel projects.  You probably won't want to spend $15 + shipping to purchase it, when there's so many other recordings that surpass it in production quality.  Still, I recommend listening via Grooveshark, because there are some very good songs.  3.5 stars

Favorite Songs: "Out of His Great Love," "Knowing You," "Were It Not For Grace"

(Note: You can listen to this CD on Grooveshark.)

Short Review: "The Anchor Holds" (Reflection Trio)

Pros:

• The music was very professionally produced, with Roger Talley working on the project.  There's a lot of ballads with big orchestrations, as well as fun faster-paced tracks like "That Same Blood."

Cons:

• The "piano" sounds pretty bad.  The studio needs to invest in a real piano, or at least get a realistic-sounding keyboard.
• There's some kind of instrument in the background of nearly every track, that blends with the percussion and makes all the songs have a certain familiarity about them.  I think it's some kind of guitar, but it needs to be used less frequently.
• I wish there was at least one more fast-paced song.  There's only four of them compared with six ballads.
• The album might have benefited from a couple of lighter ballads.  They're all pretty heavily orchestrated (with "I'm Amazed" being the lightest)  The beginning of "Under His Wings" is even lighter, with little or no orchestration, but it doesn't follow through till the end of the song

Comments: The Anchor Holds is a CD worth listening to.  The songs on it haven't been sung to death and the music is very good.  I really like the project.

I would like to clarify about the song list.  "Under His Wings" is a different song than the old hymn you may sing in church, although the chorus is sung twice at the end.  "I Go to the Rock" is not the version that the Kingdom Heirs and Legacy Five did.  "I Will Praise You" is different than "I Will Praise Him," and "I'm Amazed" is not the praise-type chorus done by Mercy's Mark, but is actually the song that was IMO ruined by [Jason Crabb?]  "I Am Not Ashamed" is a completely different song than the Inspirations sang.  Just wanted to let you know, in case you look at the song list and think: "They've all been sung to death.  I'm not listening to the CD."  A couple of the songs, that I know of, have been sung by other groups, but they haven't been done too much.

Southern Gospel fans will enjoy listening to jazzy "I Go to the Rock," worshipful "Under His Wings," and the slightly progressive "Jesus Never Fails."  4.5/5 stars

Favorite Songs: That Same Blood, The Anchor Holds

Song List: I Will Praise You, I'm Amazed, I Go to the Rock, The Anchor Holds, Jesus Never Fails, Calvary Came Through, That Same Blood, I Know My Redeemer Lives, I Am Not Ashamed, Under His Wings

Short Review: Forgiven Self-Titled CD

EDIT: Listen to two songs from this CD right now!

Forgiven is a mixed trio sponsored by Hobe Sound Bible College in Hobe Sound, Florida.  These kind of groups tend usually to get one album, and then "disappear."  While this project is not on the scale of a lot of Southern Gospel projects, it's still worth a listen.


Pros:

• Music.  I've heard some projects where a group was accompanied by just a piano.  Thankfully this wasn't the case on Forgiven.
• Talent.  While there are places where the group is perhaps not as strong as they should be, they are good singers and aren't afraid to use their voices!  (Listen to the second verse of "Because He Lives.")
• Song selection.  I would have chosen different songs to substitute in several places, but Forgiven didn't sing songs that have recently been done by major Southern Gospel groups.

Cons:

• There's something about the music that I can't quite put my finger on.  But I think it might be this.  The music (particularly the drums and the brass instruments) needs to be louder.  I think some better mixing would have made a huge difference.

Comments: This is a nice album to listen to, especially when you're in the mood for something lighter.  You can order it online at: www.hsbc.edu.  4 stars

Favorite Songs: Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone), Everlasting Peace, Shout to the Lord, Oh Come Along, Because He Lives

Credits:
Song List: Because He Lives, Born Again, Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone), Everything, O God Our Help In Ages Past (accapella), Everlasting Peace, Shout to the Lord, Great Is Thy Faithfulness (piano solo), Heaven Medley, O Come Along, I've Come Too Far Medley
Group Members: Jac Crawford, Amy Going, Tim Henson (Pianist), Julia Stetler
Music Credits: Produced by Paul Stetler, Engineered by Chas Payson, Recorded and Mixed at Echo Beach Studios (Jupiter FL), Orchestration and Bass by Milton Smith, Piano by Timothy Henson, Drums by Todd Walker
Photography and Graphic Design: Mark Going