Christian music reviews

It's beautiful to hear Babbie Mason's contemporary songs. As lay Carmelite I really enjoy her songs which are so full of Christian JOY! I know you'll like her music too! She proves that Christianity is anything but boring.

I really love this album. It cuts through any contemporary babble and goes straight to the issues of being truly converted. The lyrics, the musical representation, and the vocal presentation all combine together for the purpose of getting the gospel message across to the listener.

I always quote "Isn't that Just Like God" when the Lord makes me aware of his awesomeness through those little miracles He does especially for me (for His glory alone) in my daily walk with Him.

My other favorite tracks are: PRAY ON!, Change Me Now, and the song that just makes me rewind a multitude of times back to back...that shoutin', hand-clappin', church-stompin', (I think you get my drift) Stand Up and Praise Him! Oops. Wrong artist, wrong album. The song is: SHOW SOME SIGN! I really like the message in that. The words that I like in it go something like..."I know I'm not saved by my feelings, but it sure feels good to be saved!"

And by the way, CHECK OUT TIMELESS! It's a Babbie Mason Classic.

I absolutely love this CD. My 3 year old daughter begs to hear it every time we get in the car. My favorite is "Isn't That Just Like God." The lyrics are beautiful and my spirit is simply lifted after listening to it.

Traditionally, the number 7 is seen in Hebrew tradition as the "perfect" number, the number of completion. It may not be PERFECT, but growing the band to 7 members did wonders for the band.

This album was transitional for the Michigan-based gospel group as they adopted new members Maxx Frank and Eddie Howard. It was two NON-members who most profoundly affected the sound though: Eric and Anson Dawkins (later to record themselves as Dawkins and Dawkins). The brothers wrote or co-wrote 5 of the 13 tracks and assisted musically on keyboards, drum programming and even arranging at times ("Second Chance"). This gave the band their most energetic set yet at the time and is probably the most consistently listenable 90s release from the band. One note, though, what's with "I Love Thinking of You"? It sounds a LOT like BeBe and CeCe Winans "Addictive Love" (compare the two sometime if you doubt me). Since both those discs came out in 1991, it's hard to say who stole from who.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Fred Hammond and Maxx Frank teamed up to write the peppy "Love U with the Rest of my Life", a percussive track that pairs drum machines and the live stickwork of Michael Williams. Downtempo "King of Glory" is a bit of slow funk strewn with faux saxophone (the keyboards of Bernard Wright and Maxx Frank). Transformation Crusade (a group I remember as one of the lamer early holy hip-hop acts) tosses off a rap that actually hammers the song's impact UP a notch. The bouncy "I Can't Live without U" is a tribute to the consuming nature of knowing Jesus. ("I'd rather live without no food to eat/I'd rather live and be homeless on the street/But one thing I can't do is/I can't live without U")In a great twist of the arrangement, the band slowly fades out as the tune ends in acappella and just when you think it's over they shout out "Chillin'!" as a very cool afterthought. "Secret Place" is a tasty ballad about the times of refreshing believers find in God.

LOWS:
As on STATE OF MIND, it's when Commissioned slows things down that they usually bomb. Smooth jazz-esque "I Really Love the Lord" is OK as a brief interlude but it provokes yawns in its full length version (track 11). Likewise for instrumental "Please You More". "Hold Me" is a pretty sugary effort from the pen of Mitchell Jones.

BOTTOM LINE:
A worthy effort. Recommended.

I have always loved commissioned and still do they are a highly anointing group of men who can definitely bring words to life in a song.

This is to me the best album commissioned has done musically this was way ahead of its time, excellent keyboards, programming, and musicians. This was Fred Hammond in his prime before he went solo. I saw them play and they were bad, and annointed. If you like Fred Hammond check this out.

This album is an absolute melting pot of versatility. Daryl has increased from exceptional vocalist to psalmist and choir director. His 14-member praise ensemble, Beloved, sang every song with his scintillating vocal arrangements. Many choirs are in dire need of some color in their vocal repertoire. So, when I heard this cd, I was like whoa!! Why can't all choirs and choruses display that "show" choir vibe that this group has? (i.e. Manhattan Transfer) Every song is colossal. "II Chronicles 7:14," "Because He's God," "I Need You," "Exchanged," "Oh, The Lamb," all of them have a wonderful message and a titillating style. The only setback is the sound quality of the production. The "live" sound was a bit airy. Not as bad as some, but it could have been better. It sounds like the acoustics in the church had some extra oxygen. It was almost like the singers were in a tin cup with a gigantic fan over them. Regardless of the dynamics of the "live" production, the studio songs, which were produced by Kevin Bond & The G.A.M.E were just as awesome as the rest of the material presented in this recording. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Daryl & Beloved in the future. Keep up the good work!

Reverend Daryl is back and better than ever! After disappointing me, a long time fan with his last live recording "Live In Oakland: Home Again" he has made it up to me with this one. This recording also seems to establish Beloved, his 14 member ensemble, as his permanent backup singers moving Daryl from the male soloist club with Desmond Pringle and Alvin Slaughter to the ranks of choir director with artists such as Richard Smallwood and James Hall. To set this new deal in concrete Daryl doesn't even lead every song. In some songs we don't hear his amazing voice at all. Instead he opts to let some of the voices of Beloved bask in the spotlight, just like a loving pastor.
The album starts off with the rousing, "Because He's God", which Daryl leads with a female soloist from Beloved. The album then continues into the midtempo "II Chronicles", in which the ensemble shows off their vocal skills mimicking Reverend Coley's riffs. Next is "He'll Make A Way", written by Reverend Coley's teenage son Teceion Coley. Other standouts on the album are the studio recorded cover of Milton Brunson & the Thompson Community Singers "For The Good Of Them", the salsa flavored "Lift Your Name On High", lead by an unnamed member of Beloved, the deep lyrics of "Silent Scream" written by Gospel hit maker V. Michael Mc Kay are mangled by an unnamed male who spoon feed's Daryl the lyrics to the song [How Kirk Franklin of him?]. It would have been better for Daryl to do this one alone. Then there's the jazzy "I Need You", lead by Reverend Coley and the rousing and modulative "He's Worthy", led by an unnamed female member of Beloved. The album ends with the studio recorded "He Can Work It Out", lead by Coley.
Besides having all of these talented folk from Beloved being unnamed with their songs, the album's great!

For those of you who do not have this album....This is one of Daryl's best. His vocal skills can not be matched by any other male Gospel artist. This album is truly a blessing. The songs I enjoy on this album are "He's God" (funky tune with brash guitar riffs), "Heal the Land" (By far my favorite), "Oh the Lamb" (will have you raising your hands anywhere), and "Work It Out". The rest of the material is nice also, I just enjoy these songs more. If you don't have this album, you're missing out on a treat. This is a truly wonderful project and I am not a big Daryl Coley fan. I am a huge fan of his vocal ability, but his albums except for a few songs (the popular ones) never did anything for me until this one. I was never really pushed to buy one of his albums until this one released. Finally, anytime an artist works with Kevin Bond you know his/her project will be tight. (i.e.-Donnie McClurkin, T.D. Jakes, Donald Lawrence) Any of those names sound familiar?

Andrea is an awesome Woman of God, she has poured into many lives and God has and is using her. I am a young lady( Lady Cece) that attends the Potter's House Youth "Fire House" and every since God has placed Drea in our lives, he has used her in an awesome way. Drea has a true relationship with God. Praise and Worship in shown true in her heart. I Applause her and thank God for a wonderful gift he has placed inside of her. Lady Drea keep God first and Keep Sanging for the Holy Ghost!! The girl can SANG!!

DREA RANDLE IS A SINGER OF JOHN P KEE AND THIS IS HER SOLO ALBUM AND THIS IS TOO GOOD. I LOVE IT WHEN SHE SINGS. THIS CD IS AWESOME. JOHN P KEE DID IT AGAIN. HE PRODUCES ONE OF THE GREATEST GOSPEL CD OF ALL TIME. DREA IS A ANOITED SINGER. IF YOU DONT HAVE THIS THEN YOU NEED TO GET YOUR COPY TODAY.

THIS WOMAN IS ON FIRE FOR THE LORD AND THIS CD JUST SHOWS THAT ONE THING. SHE HAS A NICE VOICE. THIS CD IS A MUST HAVE. YOU NEED TO GET IT BECUASE YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH IT. FROM THE START TO THE FINISH YOU WILL NOT HATE THIS CD. THIS CD IS AWESOME. I AM GLAD THAT JOHN P KEE PRODUCE THIS ALBUM BECUAS EHE DID A GREAT JOB. I LOVE THE SONG THAT THEY DO TOGETHER. JOHN ALWAYS KNOW HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT SINGERS AND HE DID AN AWESOME JOB ON THIS ONE. DREA IS AWESOME AND SO IS THIS CD. THIS IS WORTH YOUR MONEY. THIS IS FILL WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ITS HAS PRAISE AND WORSHIP AND THAT WHY I LOVE THIS CD. I LOVE HER VOICE ND THIS CD REALLY BRINGS OUT HER VOICE. THIS IS A MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never heard guitars talk the way they do when played by the Campbell brothers. They approach the guitar as a human voice, and they succeed better than anyone I ever heard.
With a change of the lyrics, this could have sounded like a truly great and innovative Chicago blues band. The difference is mostly in lyrics and in that the Brothers go all the way all the time - no laid back moment throughout the CD.
For some reason I prefer the tracks that were recorded without Kate Jackson (11-14). Make no mistake - she is an awsome singer. I just feel that if I could hear someone like Julius Cheeks, Archie Brownlee, or the soloists of the Caravans, the Soul Stirrers or The Swan Silvertones - backed by the amazing guitars of the Campbell brothers - I would never stop listening.
All the tracks are good - the opener is chilling, Mary Dont you Weep remains one of my favorites ("Pharoe's army got drowned in the sea" - to me is a political agenda).
A spiritual CD to warm you up when your'e down and out.

Guess you can teach an old Episcopal dog new tricks. Until I bought this and Sacred Steel Live!, I used to think that the steel guitar was exclusive to white country bands. I had no idea of the central role the steel guitar plays in the music of Church of the Living God churches.

This album is unbelievable. The slow stuff is the very embodiment of soul and the uptempo stuff rocks as much as anything else out there. Katie Jackson is an exceptional singer, who deserves far, far more attention than she receives. And I can't conceive of anyone else alive today who can play steel guitar better than the Campbell Brothers. Count me a huge fan.

Buy this. Buy it now.

I enjoy most styles of music, but there's something mighty powerful about this stripped-down style of gospel. My suggestion for first-time listeners--wear a comfortable pair of shoes, because you'll be tapping your feet a thousand miles a second (if not dancing around the house!). When I hear music like this, I also have a sense of sadness for all the folks that'll never be exposed to this amazing form artistic and religious expression.

After ten years of ministry and nine contemporary CD releases, Sparrow released Steve Green's 'greatest hits' or most popular songs, if you will. The 'favorites' of Steve Green fans are here along with three new releases sure to excite fans who have never heard Steve sing them live in concert.

"People Need The Lord" is a recognizable song from the early 1980s that closed out his first album. It is weak as an opening song, but certainly one of his best-known songs. Green proceeds with "God And God Alone," the title of his most reverent CD. Other popular songs include "Broken And Spilled Out," "He Holds The Keys," and "Calvary's Love."

The new songs, however, are the highlight of the recording. Green gives a passable performance of Keith Green's (no relation) "Grace By Which I Stand" that is updated for contemporary style. It also contains a popular concert song, "A Mighty Fortress," that can be found on the 1986 cantata-style CD of the same name. Green performs a 'Cross Medley' that is a combination of "Hallelujah! What A Savior," "When I Survey," and "Amazing Love."

The CD ends with the apex of the 1993 CCM performed "Young Messiah," a contemporary version of Handel's "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth." The CD ends much like a Green concert and you leave the recording feeling blessed.

This is must have if you want a 'best of' that doesn't require a lot of dollars like buying all the old recordings does.

People Need the Lord is a collection of 16 of the best songs in Steve Green's first 10 years of ministry.

The songs are mainly oriented towards burdening Christians for people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, other songs encourage the listener to reflect on the awesomeness of God.

Among my personal favorites are: People Need the Lord, God and God Alone, Broken and Spilled Out, He Holds the Keys, A Mighty Fortress, and I Know That My Redeemer Liveth. However, the other songs are fine also.

Highly recommended, I encourage readers to buy and enjoy for God's glory!

A collection of 16 favorite songs celebrating ten years of Steve Green's music ministry. This two-time Dove Award male vocalist of the year is my all-time favorite Christian vocalist! He uses his wonderful God-given voice to glorify God through music. This album has a good selection of songs overall, especially for those who enjoy contemporary Christian music as well as hymns. I especially like this CD for it has a nice blend of contemporary music and the old-time classic favorites such as "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" (written by Martin Luther) and "I Know that My Redeemer Liveth" (by G. F. Handel).

This was our Sunday Morning breakfast after church music when I was growning up. She's back in all her glory

The Power & The Glory is not Gospel; it is a collection of beautiful old hymns that Mahalia makes her own and sings them with such incredible power and majesty all who listen will be taken to another place, a beautiful place. This album must rate as a musical masterpiece.

The first 2 songs were excellent choices for starters. When Mahalia sings "Onward Christian Soldiers," it actually feels as if she is ordering you to join her 'Christian soldiers."

If I begin to talk about "The Holy City," I will run out of room and I will not be able to finish. This is one of the most beautiful songs that I've ever heard. I don't cry too often when it comes to songs, but it actually brought a couple (only a couple, I promise...hahaha!) of tears to my eyes.

A Great Buy

Marvelous Bach - full-blooded renditions of some of his best works for harpsichord. Puyana's scholarship is evident, but there's no 'proper' tinkling here. Some may find these recordings a bit over the top, but not me. Grab it before Universal trashes it, as it has done with Puyana's Soler and Couperin (the Soler is possibly the most exciting harpsichord recording ever made). Highly recommended.

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Raphael Puyana has been a major player in the world of harpsichords for a long time now. He was a student of Wanda Landowska, and his crisp, scintillating performances really grab the ear.
I tried to get this particular recording from another website and they were unable to get a copy for me. Then I tried Amazon, and they got it to me right away. And to think I might have missed out hearing these brilliant renditions of Bach if I had not tried to find it here.

"Great" is an over-used word, but I have no hesitation about using it three times in the title of this review.

Puyana's performances here are an impeccable combination of authentic performance style, energy, and thoughtful phrasing. The pieces themselves are wonderful, and it is likely that at least one of them will be new to the listener. The sound itself, a product of the early days of stereo recording, is crystal clear, and the limitations in dynamic range inherent in analog recording are not as evident in a harpsichord recording as they might be elsewhere.

This would be one of my favorite CDs at premium price; the fact that it is a mid-priced CD makes it a great bargain, as well.

I bought this recording in 1997 and it quickly became a favourite. Quartetto Gelato is absolutely wonderful. I went to one of their concerts in Philadelphia and was absolutely amazed by their virtuosity and versatility. It was the most fun that I've ever had at a classical concert.

They perform some things from the standard repertoire. The violinist/tenor Peter DeSotto has an absolutely beautiful voice. They also play many other things that you might not normally hear, such as Antonio Pasculli's Concerto Sopri Motivi dall'Opera la Favorita di Donizetti.

I would reccommend this recording highly. I would also reccommend seeing them live. When you see them live, it only serves to highlight the stunning virtuosity and incredible musicianship of this group.

Different in instrumentation and with a varied program, this group is a great deal of fun to experience. The performances are excellent, and with a range from La Boheme to Danny Boy, there is certainly something to appeal to everyone. And appeal is their hallmark; listening to this CD should make a believer out of anyone.

I have seen Quartetto Gelato in concert and immediately bought their CD. The concert was perhaps the best classical music concert I have seen. This eclectic group beautifully combines serious classical music talent with great fun and showmanship. If you love classical music but are sometimes turn off by the stuffiness of some performances, this is a refreshing and lively alternative.

I have been looking for a Christian prayful mediatative soothing CD to help my nerves through these troubling times and found this CD to be my answer. His voice pitch, musical ability, choice of songs, etc., can provide medicine for the soul that no anti-depressant, psychologist, alcohol, drug, or new-age mumbo jumbo can provide. There is truly powerful comfort in this CD's presentation. If I have trouble sleeping, this CD resolves the issue. I hope others can find the same strength that I have found through his prayerful music.

I come to this 1996 recording four years late (it's 2000 now). It is an extraordinary collection of quiet prayers that speak clearly and loudly from the soul. Amazing. An astonishing, quiet "oasis" of deep human feeling and human devotion. Bryan has miraculously managed to slow down the World and focus on the most important moments and beliefs in spiritual life. Bran's recordings of undying perennials "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go" and the unerring "I Need Thee Every Hour" cast an entirely new light on the depth of human faith and even the very "form" it may take. This recording is a rare, precious jewel; it radiates from the shelf; its energy calls with the greatest possible power. "My Utmost For His Highest" is an extraordinary Bryan Duncan recording that invites -- no, compels -- surprise from the very first note. Amazing. Ron/ Onsax/ St.Louis

I come to this 1996 recording four years late (it's 2000 now). It is an extraordinary collection of quiet prayers that speak clearly and loudly from the soul. Amazing. An astonishing, quiet "oasis" of deep human feeling and human devotion. Bryan has miraculously managed to slow down the World and focus on the most important moments and beliefs in spiritual life. Bryan's recordings of undying perennials "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go" and the unerring "I Need Thee Every Hour" cast an entirely new light on the depth of human faith and even the very "form" it may take. This recording is a rare, precious jewel; it radiates from the shelf; its energy calls with the greatest possible power. "My Utmost For His Highest" is an extraordinary Bryan Duncan recording that invites -- no, compels -- surprise from the very first note. Amazing. Ron/ Onsax/ St.Louis