Daywind Records
CD Review: Turn Your Radio On (Watts, Rowsey & Bean)
Watts, Rowsey & Bean consists of Nicole Watts Jenkins, John Darin Rowsey, and Gina Bean. I’ve been listening to John Darin Rowsey since his days with New Journey, so I’m most familiar with him but his name alone made me interested in this CD.
Old-time southern gospel fans may immediately assume that the title track is the old Albert E. Brumley classic, Turn Your Radio On, but it is actually a new, rousing song written by Watts, Rowsey & Bean.
“I don’t wanna Waste Another Day. Not one minute if You’re not in it. Jesus, You’re the only reason that I live.” Do I hear Amen?
I Still Am Your Child is a reassuring song that God is ever near, arms open wide when we go running back to Him.
He’s in Control is another song of encouragement. You will reap if you faint not! Keep hanging in there.
Written in the Scars talks about the crucifixion and yet the fact that it doesn’t end there. This is my favorite on the CD.
“There’s going to be rejoicing When Revival Comes to Town.” Real revival, that is. There are way too many things that are called “revival,” which has nothing to do with changing lives. When true, Heaven-sent revival comes to town, you will notice the difference.
I’ve Come to Bless You is a song of praise and worship to the only One worthy of our praise.
Faith is an older song written by Karen Peck Gooch and John Darin Rowsey. An uptempo song that talks about what faith is.
The Bible says that, if we don’t cry out, the rocks will do so in our place. This next song tells us Don’t Give a Rock a Chance. I hope the rocks never have to cry out because I am not praising my God who has done so much for me.
He Lives to Love talks about how great the Father’s love is for us.
CD Review: Welcome Home (Joseph Habedank)
Two years ago, Joseph Habedank left his ten-year position as a singer for The Perrys due to an addition to prescription drugs. Shortly after that, he acknowledged his need for help and checked into a drug and alcohol center. After what must have been a very difficult, humbling time in his life, he emerged victoriously and, last year, released a CD of 10 very encouraging songs, all co-written by him.
Welcome Home is an uplifting song of welcome for the family of God.
“Jesus loves beggars Begging For Change.” I love that! When Jesus comes into your life, He will change your life. You simply need to surrender.
“When it seems it can’t be done, I know God is Big Enough.” A song of great encouragement for those who are down and beginning to feel that things are hopeless.
Life can be hard, even for Christians. Sometimes it’s very hard. “But I have Never No Never seen the righteous forsaken.”
The enemy is working hard to discourage God’s children; however, it is so important to realize that his words are Empty. We serve a God who has a great plan for your life in spite of what satan says.
The Beauty of the Blood was the #8 song on Singing News’ chart for last week. A beautiful song about the Cross and God’s love for us.
God can do Wonders With Water, including working through your tears.
Now I Know Him reminds us that, although we may know a lot about God and know Him to some degree, it is through the pain and tears that we come to know Him better than ever before.
A Little Bit of Thunder is another song of hope. No matter what is going on in the world, there is nothing to be afraid of. Our God is still in control.
“When the stage is bare and there’s nobody there, will it still be my prayer to live the life they all think I lead? And will I be like who I sing about When the Lights Go Down?” A powerful song of reflection. Are you the person everyone thinks you are, or are you living a double life? God is calling you to come Home. Allow Him to change you from the inside out. Receive the peace and joy that He gives to those who are willing to surrender to Him … even after the lights go down.
CD Review: Forever/80th Anniversary Recording (Blackwood Brothers)
Billy Blackwood is keeping classic quartet music alive with his current lineup of The Blackwood Brothers.
You Can Find What I Found is a neat-sounding song with the tenor leading and the rest echoing. It changes tempo on the chorus.
Dianne Wilkinson wrote the toe-tapping, I’ll Fly Away Home. A great quartet song.
The tempo slows down as Wayne Little sings Forever Forgiven.
Walkin’ and Talkin’ is an old J.D. Sumner that the Blackwood Brothers brought back for this recording.
Long Gone is a mediocre, uptempo song.
Heaven Will Be Mine Someday has somewhat of a ’50s or ’60s feel.
When I Cross to the Other Side of Jordan is an old song written by Ed O’Neal.
“I will give my all for Him who gave His all for me for I Know in Whom I Have Believed.” Amen!
Butch Owens sings the uptempo Oh, No You Don’t.
The CD ends with the classic Dear Jesus, Abide With Me.
CD Review: HYMNS: the A Cappella Sessions (The Nelons)
I am not typically a fan of a cappella recordings but this CD from the Nelons is a keeper.
They did a brave move by starting the CD with The Hallelujah Chorus but it does the job in capturing your attention so you desire to hear the rest of the project.
It may grow on me but I am not particularly fond of their rendition of There is a Fountain. I expect some will like it though because it is different. It does showcase their tight harmony.
I hadn’t heard Do Unto Others before but they put a lot of soul into this arrangement.
Then the tempo slows down for a medley of Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior and Just as I Am.
They did a rousing rendition of Keep On the Firing Line/Onward Christian Soldiers.
Other songs include: Tis So Sweet; Hallelujah, What a Savior; Since Jesus Passed By; and I Need Thee Every Hour.
CD Review: Here Comes Sunday (Wilburn & Wilburn)
Wilburn & Wilburn has become a group that I look forward to hearing as soon as a new CD is released. If you have heard their previous releases, this one is just as good vocally, musically, and lyrically. Unfortunately, the type is too small and the color too light to read who wrote the songs but the songs are good and well-written.
This CD begins with the title track, which is a song of hope. No matter what you’re going through, Here Comes Sunday.
Jonathan Wilburn sings Funeral Plans. This song is about a man who is dying but he’s not worried. His house is in order, he’s been faithful, and now he plans to die praising the Lord.
Joseph is a song about Mary’s husband–the one who raised Jesus as his own son. What must it have been like for him to have married a woman who was with child by the Holy Spirit? Yet he bore it admirably, obeying God’s command to take Mary as his wife regardless what others thought.
Nobody Like Jesus reminds us that we’ve never seen anybody like Jesus. If you haven’t received Him into your heart, I hope you will do so today.
“Every Scar has a story to tell.” This song begins with describing scars a boy may have and the stories behind them. It moves on to the scars that Jesus bore on our behalf.
Help Me reminds us that there are people with much worse needs than our own. We need God to show us how to help those people.
If These Old Walls Could Talk is the story of a man who went back to the church he grew up in. He imagines all the stories that would be told if those walls could talk.
The tempo slows down as Jordan Wilburn sings A Man Like Me. “If he can use some rugged wood and those three old rusty nails, … the fallen walls inside a pagan Roman jail, … a storm-tossed fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee, he can use a simple, searching, wounded, hurting, broken man like me.”
When you come to the Lord, Everything’s New. A great reminder.
Across the Miles is one of my favorite songs right now. Not a new song but the older I get, the more it means to me to know that people who love me are praying for me.
They also included two classics on this CD: I’m Bound for That City and Heaven’s Jubilee.
