Country
CD Report: Favorites (Bobby Bowen Family)
Bobby Bowen and his family recently recorded a CD of favorites. With 19 songs featured, including the powerful Land of the Free, this CD has a little of everything: old Mid South songs, praise and worship songs, and a couple I hadn’t heard before.
Other songs included are: I Won’t Be Frightened Anymore, Without You I Haven’t Got a Prayer, I Could Sing of Your Love Forever, Mighty to Save, Resting Place, Every River Has a Bridge, One Lost Sheep, Finally Home, He Paid it All, To Go to Heaven, Get on Board Little Children, Heart Collector, Home, How Great is Our God, Jesus Use Me, Little Man, Rise Again, and The Greatest Gift.
CD Report: High Road (High Road)
When you hear the term “bluegrass,” you may think of groups like The Lewis Family or, more recently, The Primitive Quartet. However, bluegrass comes in various forms and styles as it has more to do with instrumentation than vocals. I would liken High Road to an Allison Krauss-type bluegrass: smooth harmonies singing easy listening songs while throwing in an instrumental number as well.
Although this group was founded in 2013, I just became aware of them a few years ago. Produced by Ben Isaacs, they sing a variety of songs, some of which will be familiar, but you will also hear a couple of new songs written by the group’s founder, Sarah Davison. I encourage you to check them out if you are not already a fan.
Songs included are: Nothing at All; Faith, Hope & Love; High Road; It’s You; Snake River Reel; Second Chances; Faithful Again; Precious Lord, Take My Hand; Two Coats; and The Day I Got Saved.
CD Report: Make It Count (The Sound)
I really like the latest CD from The Sound. It’s progressive, but it’s a progressive sound that I don’t mind. A couple of older songs join mostly new songs to produce a CD that’s nice to listen to while working around the house. Well, that’s when I listen to music anyway, and this is upbeat enough to serve that purpose well.
As I write this, I’m listening to the song I Am Becoming. What a blessing to know that I’m not what I was but I’m not what I’ll be. I am becoming who God desires me to be!
Songs on this project include: City of Joy, It Was Grace, First Church of Mercy, Make It Count, Can I Get a Witness, On the Road to Emmaus, I Am Becoming, Great God Almighty, Something ‘Bout Love, and Rain.
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: Loudest Praise (Lauren Talley)
Lauren Talley recently released a CD containing six hymns. Loudest Praise contains the songs, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, When God Dips His Love in My Heart, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Does Jesus Care, and His Eye Is On the Sparrow. As a fan of Lauren Talley and a lover of hymns, this is a CD I will enjoy for a long time.
CD Review: Noah Believed (Buddy Davis)
If you have never heard Buddy Davis, you are missing out. I think of his music as being for children, but I have enjoyed listening to this CD before I give it to my 9-year-old nephew who is a HUGE Buddy Davis fan.
This CD includes 12 songs written by Mr. Davis–all on the topic of Noah and the Ark. They are Biblical, some are witty, telling the story in music. The other day, my 3-year-old niece was a little grouchy so I brought her in with me and we sat and listened to this CD. Whenever a song would end, she would ask for another. If you have young children or grandchildren, or if you are just in a mood for something different, I highly recommend this.
Songs included are: The Lord Himself Will Shut the Door; The Global Flood Really Happened; Forty Days and Forty Nights; Animal Kinds; Inside the Ark, We’re Safe; Noah’s Ark Fever; The Earth Is Dry; My Raven Won’t Come Back; Floating Zoo; Noah Believed; The Wonder of a Rainbow; and Come to the Ark.
CD Review: Shine (The Bobby Bowen Family)
If you have followed Southern Gospel Music as long as I have, you might remember a Christian country group called The Mid South Boys or, as they were later known, Mid South. Bobby Bowen was one of the lead singers of that group, and I am happy to tell you that he is still singing praise to our Savior. The only difference is that his family now joins him on stage to play and sing.
As I was writing the above paragraph, I wasn’t paying much attention to the songs that were playing, but when the song To Go To Heaven came on, I stopped to listen. The music itself caused me to pause but then I heard the line, “It’s worth every valley if my Jesus I will meet.” Amen!
I love the hymn Jesus, Use Me. Very glad they included it on here. “Though the cost be great, I’ll work for you.”
I Know I’m Loved is a heartwarming song about daddies and daughters.
I Have a Hope is a great song of encouragement.
Other songs on this CD are: Never Walk Alone, Heart Collector, One Lost Sheep, Shine Like the Star You Are, It’s Your Love, and I Know He Will.
CD Review: Turn the Page (Misty Freeman)
This is my favorite CD from Misty Freeman thus far. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that there are only six songs but the songs are comprised of good lyrics and arrangments, so you will not feel let down. You will just have to listen to it more often. 🙂
New Beginnings is a song that everyone should hear. Life is too short to hold grudges, compare yourself with others, be too serious, etc.
A Day in the Life of Jesus talks about the things Jesus did on a daily basis: healing people, walking on water, forgiving.
“The time that you spent here on earth is The best Sermon I ever heard.” A thought-provoking song. Something we should all aspire to have said about us.
Too Fast is a song that every parent can relate too. Enjoy your children while they are little. This stage will be over way too soon.
The other songs on this CD are: Garden of Grace and When God Speaks.
CD Review: Walk Worthy (Master’s Voice)
It’s rare that a group catches my attention the first time I hear them. Master’s Voice is one of those rare groups. I have two of their CDs and never get tired of them. Good harmony and arrangements to songs written by writers such as Phil Cross, Joseph Habedank, Dianne Wilkinson, Jerry Salley, and others make this a recording you will want to listen to over and over. You will be tapping your toes on Love Goes a Mighty Long Way, crying on One Day Longer, acknowledging that “Without You, I Haven’t Got a Prayer,” and praying to be that person who will “Lift Up Your Hands When You Can’t.”
Other songs include: He Saw Me; Another One Like Him; Yes He Did, Yes He Does, Yes He Will; More Than Enough; Sowing the Good Seed; Do What Jesus Did; Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary; and Where My Savior Is.
CD Review: Moments Like These (The Bowling Family)
The Bowling Family is comprised of Mike and Kelly Bowling and their daughter Hope. This is my first time to listen to a full CD of theirs, but what a blessing it is. I give it 5 stars because of the quality of the songs. There is not a “dud” on this recording. Songs of faith, hope, and the resurrection fill this CD, leaving you encouraged and ready to face another day.
Mike sings the uptempo, Praise God, He is Alive.
Hope sings about One Moment of Faith.
I Was There is the Heavenly Father reminding you that He was there during everything you have gone through … and He will continue to be.
Mourning to Dancing is another toe-tapping song of hope.
In the next song, Mike tells us again I Believe He’s Alive.
The tempo slows way down for a song Mike and Kelly Bowling wrote with Marcia Henry Bloodworth: Even When You’re Asking Why. “You will never get to walk this road by sight. Only faith will lead you through the night. But God loves you and He’s with you, even when you’re asking why.”
Some of you will know the old song, I’ve Got My Foot on the Rock. I hadn’t heard this one in quite a while.
God is Always Good reminds us of that truth that many seem to lose sight of. No matter what you are going through, it does not change the fact that God is still good.
If you’re still not convinced, the next song puts it another way: God Likes Working in the Midnight Hour.
Kelly sings Our First Hallelujah There, a song that ushers you into the presence of Heaven as you picture your first moments there.
