No comments about One Day at a Time.

No comments about Great Duets.

5 comments about Strong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard.

1. Five Stars - really. Gosh, I love this album, and this was my first introduction to the music of the man Mark Heard. Although performed by him are not any of these songs, they reflect the wonderful poetry of the man. Yes, he was a poet, and the recordings of his friends and admirers are top notch, even better than the ones he did when he was alive, I strongly believe. The music to which his words are set here are something of a mix of rock and folk music with a dash of country - really very pleasant to the ear. Add the soulful words and the soulful renditions, and the music is delicious. So, I call this soul music, since he penned such beauty into his songs and the music goes past the ear and down into the soul. Remembered he is and will be fondly.



2. This is, without reservation, one of the finest CD's in my collection. I was a long time fan of Mark Heard and this CD is the top of my list for ALL artists... The songs recorded by the talented artists on the CD paint a picture of the soul of Mark. He was an extremely talented musician and producer who is greatly missed in the world of music.



3. Of all the artists that Mark Heard has influenced and worked with Randy Stonehill will miss him the most. It is the Stonehill/Miner performance of look over your shoulder that is the most moving and passionate display of truth and valor ever done by mark yet performed so well by someone that mark worked so hard with and spent so much of his life being close to.Mark Heard will be sorely missed.



4. A rollicking, robust -- and sometimes tender -- tribute to an artist whose anonymity may always overshadow his immense musical talent. From the stunning opening song by Kevin Smith of DC Talk to the stirring finale by a reunited Chagall Guevara, this effort records the map of Mark Heard's musical heart as well as anyone could hope to. Not a substitute for Heard's music, this CD nevertheless is a welcome addition and a sign of his influence on contemporary songwriters. Bruce Cockburn's title tune is lovely, though I'm not sure it's better than an earlier cover by Randy Stonehill, who's heard elsewhere here with Pam Dwinell (Kate) Miner. Phil Keaggy's "I Always Do" may be the CD's most perfect song; Pierce Pettis distills the essence of Mark Heard in "Nod Over Coffee." Missing here -- but not to be missed -- is Pat Terry's extraordinary acoustical version of "Mercy of the Flame," a track that's available on the cassette version of this record! ing. Heard's Strong Hand of Love is the hand of God Himself -- sometimes hidden by our shadows but firmly gripping every note of Mark Heard's music. Enjoy.



5. As near to a perfect album as I can think of. There is the strength of performance from each artist from the lesser knowns to the biggies. All put their heart into it and pay their sincerest respect to a songwriter who tells it like it is. Each singer sings it as if he or she wrote it. Such is the power of Mark's honest lyricism, that it causes one to feel that the nature of existence is not intrepid and remote, that our struggles are universal and our joys may be obscured but worthy of the struggle, and that meanwhile we have the solidarity of each other. From the pulsating opening track 'Lonely Moon' to the passionately yearning 'I Just Wanna Get Warm' to the chilly introspection of 'It's not your fault' to the anthemic 'Orphans Of God', I seriously would be hard pressed to think of a track that I dislike. The singular unity of Mark's visionary poetry is excellently played out with quite a diverse range of style. And that is another reason this album is so enjoyable. Here are songs that reach deep into my loneliness and anger at the world and love for life. For more of the same you could try the double disc 'Orphans Of God' which has everything here and more.

No comments about In Harmony.

3 comments about Pardners in Rhyme.

1. While the sound of the Statlers (a vocal harmony quartet unlike any other successful country act) changed slightly down the years, the essence of their music was consistent. They wrote most of their own material but they covered songs that suited their style. This album is typical.
   
   Among the original songs are Memory lane (a nostalgic song of the type that the Statlers were so good at), Sweeter and sweeter (a very romantic song), Too much on my heart (an outstanding ballad - perhaps the best original song here) and You don't wear blue so well (another fine ballad).
   
   The covers here are Hello Mary Lou (written by Gene Pitney but made famous by Ricky Nelson) and Amazing grace (the gospel classic that many different singers have recorded) - the Statlers' version is among the finest and most distinctive versions of this song.
   
   Note that the song titled Autumn leaves is an original song (brilliant, like everything else here), not a cover of the classic fifties song (itself a translation of a French song). Come to think of it, the Statlers could have done a superb version of that classic, but as far as I know, they never did.
   
   Every song here is wonderful, just as you would expect from the Statlers. If you are interested in the music of the Statlers, you will enjoy this album. If you are new to their music, I recommend that you start with one of their compilations.



2. The Statlers have a much more full and produced sound to this 1985 classic. Jerry Kennedy has produced their music for more than 30 years now, but even still you can tell a change in the Statler sound--perhaps with the change of recording technology. My favorite song is "Memory Lane", written by high tenor Jimmy Fortune, which bass Harold Reid singing lead on the chorus. Other great cuts include the classic "Hello Mary Lou" and "Amazing Grace".



3. While this particular Statler Brothers CD is not my favorite, it does contain a couple of my favorite songs that thay sing. "Hello Mary Lou" is worth the cost of the cd alone. I love this song and remember the times I used to hear this tape played by my dad who introduced the Statlers to me. The other song on this cd a really like is "Amazing Grace", a song that almost seems to have been done to death by so many artists over the years. The Statler version definatly ranks as my favorite. The other songs of the cd are alright, but do not possess the real memorability of these two wonderful songs. I love the way the Statlers almost always have at least one song devoted to Jesus on each of their cds. If you have never much listened to the Statlers, I would suggest you purchase the Staler set listed above. Great easy listing tunes!

1 comments about Christian Hits Of The Eighties, Vol. 1.

1. I almost really messed up by tossing this one out before really listening to it.Thinking it was just "old" stuff,how wrong I was!God's truth is the same yesterday,today and forever and worship music is timeless.I LOVE "Let the Wind Blow",great!Buy this and you will be blessed!

No comments about Essential #1 Hits.

No comments about The Wine Is Running Out.

1 comments about Vol. 4: Prayer.

1. This whole series is wonderful. Great for meditation, unwinding, and prayer. I often use them as background for my small faith group meetings. There are familiar hymns and some kind of rare. Because they are instrumental, they are also good background for reading. I highly reccommend them.

No comments about Bondad.