3 star
CD Report: Season for Believing (John Darin Rowsey)
I rarely buy Christmas recordings anymore since everyone seems to record the same songs. Last year, John Darin Rowsey released a solo Christmas CD featuring twelve original songs, eleven of which were written or co-written by John.
Songs included are: Christmas Day, Season for Believing, Down in Bethlehem, Who Came When Jesus Came, If It’s Christmas (with the Guardians), Mary Had a Baby, Light in the Window, Welcome Little Baby, Christmas and Family, Joy Has Come to the World (with Nancy Banfield and Pam Hall – formerly known as New Journey), Emmanuel, and We Need a Little Love.
CD Report: From the Heart (Billy Blackwood & Friends)
Back in 2019, Billy Blackwood released a CD that mostly features him, but he does have some guests that join him on some of the songs. Most of these are old songs from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s as well as one from the ’90s (Is that old?!?!?!), but there are a couple post-2000 songs as well. Unfortunately, I have gotten behind on reviews so, although this is not a brand new CD, I figured it’s better to give it a late mention than none at all.
Songs included are: People Need the Lord, It Is No Secret, In the Garden (featuring Yvonne Lewis-Shelton), Without Him, Willing Heart (featuring Kelly Willard), I’d Rather Have Jesus, A Strange Way to Save the World (featuring Dave Clark), Your Grace Still Amazes Me, Love Held Jesus to the Cross (featuring Gene McDonald), If People, and You’re in God’s Hands.
CD Report: Glorious God (Lauren Talley)
Back in 2019, Lauren Talley released a couple of worship CDs. I reviewed the other one shortly after they came out, but this one is worth mentioning too.
I am not a fan of the praise and worship genre, but there are good songs within the genre, and Lauren has chosen some good ones. Some will be familiar to you and some may not, but they will all bring you into the presence of Jesus.
Songs included are: Glorious God, What a Beautiful Name, Mercy Tree, The Heavens Are Telling, Let the Glory Come Down, Jesus at the Center, Jesus Only Jesus, and A Wretch Like Me (which Lauren wrote).
CD Report: Who We Are (3 Heath Brothers)
I first heard this group by watching the National Quartet Convention’s live stream. People talk about family harmony, and I admit that there is not much that I like better.
Dream Small reminds us that it’s not only the big things that matter. Every little thing that you do for Christ counts in eternity.
If you’ve forgotten who you are in Christ, you need to listen to This Is Who I Am.
They included an a capella version of the hymn It Is Well.
Smell of Smoke compares the trials we go through to the deliverance of the Hebrew boys who “didn’t even smell of smoke.”
“It’s not about thinking less of yourself, but thinking of your Self Less.”
I Believe You is a timely song. No matter what anyone else says, we can cling to the words of our Father since every word He’s spoken is true.
Moms will appreciate the Mother’s Day Song.
We Choose Life is the first strongly pro-life song I’ve heard since Gold City recorded “Only God Knows.”
Other songs include: Give It to Jesus, No Matter What, and Shake in His Shoes.
CD Review: All the Lights (Donna King)
Donna King has released a Christmas CD which includes 5 classic Christmas songs and 5 new songs written or co-written by Donna. I really appreciate CDs that don’t feature songs that everyone else is recording, and this fits that bill.
Songs included are:
I Wonder as I Wander; All the Lights; Come On Ring Those Bells; Christ is Born; Because of a Baby; Go Tell It On the Mountain; You’ll Find Christmas; Anything Is Possible; There’s a New Kid in Town; and The Gospel Wrapped Up in a Song (with Zane King).
CD Review: Everything in Between (The Kingdom Heirs)
This CD by The Kingdom Heirs features 12 songs (9 original and 3 classics). Most of the songs were just OK by my estimation, but the following are worth special mention.
I enjoyed their instrumental arrangements of Crying in the Chapel and Sweet By and By.
Ready for Glory is a toe-tapping, quartet song and fun to listen to.
I also like their a capella song Holy, Holy Is What the Angels Sing.
Jerry Martin does a good job singing High on Zion’s Mountain.
Other songs include: Just Drink the Water, Come to the Well, Everything in Between, I Have Overcome, Nothin’s Gonna Keep Me Down, Ready for Glory, He Set Me Free, and I’ll Never Get Over the Blood that I’m Under.
CD Review: A Million Miles (Sunday Drive)
If you are as old as I am, you may remember a group called Cedar Ridge. I loved their sound and have wondered at times what happened to them. Well, I recently found out that Jeff Treece now sings with Dusty Treece and Misty Treece in a group called Sunday Drive.
This CD starts out by asking, “Lord, am I Right Where You Want Me to Be?” This is a question we should each be asking ourselves.
I grew up listening to the music of Evie so I am happy to hear her popular song Born Again.
I’m Not Gonna Leave is a unique song that talks about never leaving the feet of Jesus.
I love the title song. No matter what you are going through, you can travel A Million Miles to reach the throne of God.
“I’m Living in the Middle of His Will, and life is better than it’s ever been.” True words. The Christian life isn’t trial-free, but if you are in the will of God, His grace will carry you through.
Other songs included are: What Can Change the World, He Set Me Free (not the old classic but a new song written by Misty Treece and Jeff Treece), Angels Sing My Victory Song, Just Before the Dawn, and It’s All About Me.
CD Review: Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout (Various Artists)
If you like bluegrass gospel, you will like this new CD produced by Jerry Salley and featuring songs written or co-written by Rick Lang. Songs include are:
Thinkin’ Outside the Box by Dave Adkins
Heaven’s Back Yard by High Road
I See God by Marty Raybon
Don’t Tune Him Out by The Whites
The Back of the Church by Jerry Salley
Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout by Claire Lynch
Henry Clayton Parker by Bradley Walker
There Will Be Singing by The Cox Family
I’ve Read the Book by Marty Raybon
They Were Fishermen by Kenny and Amanda Smith
Sunday Morning Gospel Jubilee by Larry Cordle
There Is a Light by Dave Adkins
I like the songs sung by female singers or mixed groups. The others are just okay by my standards. This will be an occasional listen for me but there was enough merit to warrant a review.
CD Review: Hope for All Nations (Karen Peck & New River)
This CD review is late because, although I wrote it a long time ago, I apparently never posted it. I feel bad about that but I decided better late than never since this was another great CD from Karen Peck and New River.
The first song you’ll hear is the catchy, encouraging, toe-tapping Love Will Never Give Up.
Next is the popular song Hope for All Nations.
My favorite song on this project is I Know I’ll Be There. I don’t know about you, but I long for that day.
Other songs include: Who He Is, What He Does; The Reason; Gotta Be Saved; I’ll Keep on Praying; The River; Victory is Mine; God’s Got a Blessing; All You Need; and I’m Gonna Love My Neighbor (with guest vocalists The Isaacs, Greater Vision, Jeff and Sheri Easter, The Bowling Family, Triumphant, and The Whisnants).
CD Review: East to West (Endless Highway)
Formerly known as The Joylanders, Endless Highway consists of Perry & Nell Wimberley, their daughter Vanessa and her husband Jason, and Jason and Vanessa’s children, Jay and Allison. Both old and young should be able to find songs on this recording that they enjoy as there is a mixture of traditional and progressive southern gospel music, with the ballads being more inspirational and worshipful.
The CD begins with the peppy song It’s a Highway to Heaven.
A beautiful song with a good message is Under the Sea.
“For every unanswered question, there’s an Unbroken Promise.” An encouraging thought if you’re going through a tough time.
Other songs include It’s His Story, This is the Grace I Know, Count It All Joy, I’ve Got the Son in My Eyes, Go Ahead and Shout, Beautiful Scars of Love, and Out of the Deep.
