5 comments about Peace in the Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings.

1. Singing Gospel Music. It's what Elvis loved the most, and what he did better than any mortal who ever lived on this earth. This incredible 3 CD set has every Gospel song ever done by the King - The 1 EP, three LPs, live performances, rehearsals, jam sessions. No one could do Gospel Music better than Mr. Presley & of all the various genres (rock, country, ballads, blues, etc.) Gospel was what he loved the best. I could listen to this music around the clock & it would never get old. Whether atheist or Bible Believer - YOU NEED THIS MUSIC - you'll never be the same. Thank you Elvis!!



2. I'm a huge Elvis fan and I love his gospel songs. He sings them so beautifully and they are so uplifting. This box set is a worthy addition to any Elvis fans collection. I like that there are also some live songs and some outtakes in this box set.



3. This is a wonderfully inspiring three disc collection of recordings by a person I feel puts his heart and soul into his gospel songs. How grand to hear the King of Rock pay homage to his Lord, the source of his "one of a kind" vocal talent. The impromptu recordings, including one where Elvis sings bass, I find especially enjoyable and touching. A few of the songs are done more than once but there are some that should be done more than once. This collection may not include all the gospel songs Elvis ever did but it a large uplifting, moving collection and well worth the price.



4. I purchased this for a friend that loves everything Elvis. I am not an Elvis fan but do enjoy gospel. I agreed to listen with him and was very much surprised. This is better than anything else Elvis ever did. Enjoy.



5. These cd's was what i was looking for, as an african american looking for old sprituals that i had grew up with. It surprise me to be Elvis singing most of them. I like it.

5 comments about 100 Singalong Songs for Kids.

1. This CD is wonderful for kids! My daughter loves it, and sings and dances with it all the time!



2. Over all the CD's are ok, I didn't realize that a lot of the songs are religious songs, but that is my fault because I didn't look at the song names before buying it.



3. I love this cd and my baby sister loves the baby one. I will give it five stars.



4. The Singalong Songs for Kids CD's are ideal for infants and toddlers. I like to put the CD's in my car, while my 2 year old listens. It calms him down, and improves his vocabulary. I bought the videos for my older son 6 years ago. The songs and video are exactly the same.



5. I read the reviews before purchasing this compilation and I agree that these are great songs (there are 100 of them after all) but after a while, they all seem to sound the same. They are sung by a children's choir and while these children sound phenomenal, all the songs they sing sound alike. I like my children's songs to have wacky words with special emphasis on different sounds. With a choir, they can't do that. They are melodic but monotone. Young children don't sound like that and my daughter would rather hear some fun songs (or at least I would.) I'd recommend this for pretty music, but not for FUN music.

5 comments about Gospels, Spirituals & Hymns.

1. This is a great collection of songs and the arrangements are so great. Didn't it Rain is one of my favorites since I was a kid and no one can sing it like Mahalia! Love the piano on this album too!



2. I do not regret the purchase of Gospels, Spirituals, and Hymns. Sometimes we need to hear frm those whose shoulders we stand on. We need to hear the word of the Lord from one who preaches through song, someone like Sister Mahalia Jackson. I highly recomend this set for your music library.



3. Well, if you are into Gospel (or just into great singing, for that matter), you need look no further; simply put, I don't see how you could do without this collection. Provides a great selection from Jackson's repertoire, and rare gems.



4. The music is great and the singer is phenomenal. All in all a great purchase.



5. Listen to the piano bass line in "Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho." I can listen to that alone and rejoice! Then, there is Mahalia Jackson's voice, a little rougher than Ella Fitzgerald but there is a child-like joy as she sings these gospel songs. For this evidence, listen to, "If I Can Help Somebody." The recording is superb as if I were listening to the album on vinyl. Superb stuff!

3 comments about Timeless: The Selah Collection.

1. I received this boxed set for Christmas and have been listening to it non-stop ever since. If you're a fan of Selah, this is a must-have. If you're new to Selah, this is a great place to start because for basically the price of 2 regular CDs, instead you get 4. The first three in the set are "Be Still My Soul," "Press On," and "Hiding Place." The final CD contains some songs from "Bless the Broken Road," as well as some new singles, a live version, and a demo.
   
   One of my favorite things about this group is that, in addition to their beautiful hymn arrangements, on each CD is at least one classic contemporary Christian song (back from when it was known as "Jesus music"). There are redo's of songs done by Evie, Larry Norman, Russ Taff, Cynthia Clawson, Andre Crouch, etc. The fourth CD of this set contains a new version of "There is a Redeemer" by the incomparable Keith Green. There is also a wonderful rendition of Andre Crouch's "I Didn't Think It Could Be ('Til It Happened to Me)." Actually, I believe each CD in the set has at least one Andre Crouch song [hey guys--if you read these amazon reviews, would you consider recording "Soon and Very Soon" some time?!] Probably my favorite new song off this set is the old hymn "Revive Us Again." Not only is it a great chance to really hear the latest member of Selah, Amy Perry, sing, it is a fantastic song to kick off the new year with.
   
   The last thing of note about Timeless is the book included--there is a history of the group and how they formed (written by Todd Smith) as well as a lot of new liner notes and hymn stories.
   
   "Timeless: The Selah Collection": What a fantastic gift to give or receive!



2. Awesome! This album is very anointed of the LORD! Selah is a wonderful group of musicians.



3. I was so excited to see this 4-disc collection by Selah, released for their 10th anniversary. Three discs in the collection are their first 3 albums: Be Still My Soul, Press On, and Hiding Place. If you're not familiar with Selah, these are wonderful collections of timeless hymns and theologically substantial worship music, sung in gorgeous harmony by Allan Hall, Todd Smith, and Nicol Smith Sponberg. If you are familiar with Selah, having additional copies of these albums is wonderful for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that you can stop switching them back and forth between the car and your house! The fourth CD in the collection has some of their radio hits from their latest Duets album, which features their newest member, Amy Perry. It also has 3 new songs with Amy, plus some previously unreleased material, including a live version of Todd singing "Were You There?" (Speaking of live, if you ever get a chance to see Selah in person, do anything you can to make it happen. I say "in person" rather than "in concert" because it is a wonderful worship service rather than simply being a performance. And Allan Hall about sets that piano on fire when you see him live!)
   
   Another great thing about this new collection is that there are all new liner wrotes written by Allan, Todd, and Amy. Selah is great for writing notes about each song--either the background of the hymn or a personal meaning it has for someone in the group.
   
   So, purchase this box set, put it on the disc-changer, have a Selah concert at home, and sing along!

5 comments about The Jesus Record.

1. Genuine and truthful composition and lyrics! The arrangements are the best I ever heard among many christian cds! The first time when I started to hear the songs( remake with orchestral arrangement version not the Mullen's original recirding)tears started to flow out of controll for its ultimate beauty and spirit filled composition....
   Chuck girald's ( Especially his spirit filled recently released cd), Vineyard music and this cd, Andra Crouch's, Richard Smallwoods' are the truely the astounding cream of the crop of American's High level Gospel music.



2. Every song is great. What else can I say? What person is more important than Jesus? What topic is more important than the Cross?



3. I have loved every song I have ever heard Rich Mullins sing. Knowing that the demo cd was the last he ever recorded made it more poignant and worshipful than hearing the versions made in styles I don't believe Rich ever would have used. With the exception of some of the tracks sung by Rick Elias, the songs on the "remake" were a bit lacking.
   The writing of the original songs is excellent and goes to a depth not heard before from Rich's music. The first time I heard "Jesus" I cried at how powerful a song it is. "Hard to get" is an accurate description of the thoughts that go through one's mind when in a desert place.
   All in all the writing is beyond excellent, but the mixes miss the mark.



4. Was purchased for church use for one song but we have not listened to it yet.



5. Arrived in good condition in a timely manner. I really enjoy a couple of the songs. There some songs I'm not really fond of. I wish I had been able to buy just one CD. It came with two that are exactly the same, except that one is a demo CD.

4 comments about Gospels, Spirituals, & Hymns, Vol. 2.

1. Volume 2 is a little different than volume 1 in a couple of ways. I think more of these songs are a later Mahalia, and somehow that age, experience and maturity come through. Also, there are a few songs with a bluesy touch, and I was surprised at one non-gospel song, "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess. But a few of the Gospel songs sound like blues as well. Perhaps indicative of the times and changing music styles in general? I'm not sure, but I sure do like them. I bought this for my wife since she loves Mahalia and can't wait to give her a big hug when they meet in Heaven.



2. I wouldn't want to be without this set, but if you are not seeking a complete collection, Volume One should serve you well.



3. I bought this CD and Volume I back in 2002. My mother loved Mahalia Jackson, so I grew up listening to her in vinyl round the clock it seemed. I actually thought I couldn't stand to hear another Mahalia Jackson song as long as I lived. But as an adult, I found myself humming some of the songs my mother had played over and over, and one day I realized I missed Mahalia's voice. When I bought these collections of hers, I actually went searching specifically for Mahalia Jackson music. Imagine my mother's surprise when I told her I had Mahalia Jackson blasting in my house the way she'd done when I was growing up! :-) There are still more Mahalia Jackson songs that I'm looking for that, in all the songs on these collections, weren't included. That's my only disappointment with these. But the quality of the recordings -- classic Mahalia Jackson!



4. There is an unusual opportunity with amazon.com to preview the audio adaptation of the beautiful contralto voices that're accompanied unbelievably: Professionally-named "Mahalia Jackson", whose followings include the missing-in-action true sources of the marching music that helped the 20th Century still-slaves overcome. If your families sang aloud as fearlessly as mine did, then you want to experience these. You can order "Mahalia Jackson's" inspirational sharings to hear whenever you awaken feeling low. Or, you can listen to the samples before checking if there's another of "Mahalia Jackson's Gospels, Spirituals, &Hymns" available online to hear at least a tiny trace: one of my favorites is "Martin, Luther and John." The music is so fabulous: You can substitute the names of your missing-in-action loved ones to cheer you until they're alive with you like when we'd been here only a couple of winks. Thanks, www.amazon.com.
   From, "(&Svenie)" P.S. "I'll Be Down To Get You With A Taxi, Honey" is also a neat tune for these times. But, be cautious not to promise what you can't deliver, 'cause we know somebody who did sing that only later to endure giving a ride to her teacher's dog which had fleas on those automatically dropped magnets...

5 comments about Voices Of The Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966.

1. This is an amazing collection of Civil Rights songs all on one CD. It is like listening to history. This collection of music will bring back memories to the older generations and introduce younger people to voices from the past.



2. Forty years later it is too easy to forget or too easy to have missed the courage and passion that fueled the Civil Rights movement. While America is still far from perfect, it is a better nation for all its citizens because some citizens took great risks for high principles in the years from 1954 through 1965. Our pledge speaks of "one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all" the inspiration provided by these songs and sermons helped make this a truer statement than it ever was before.
   
   Everyone who is proud to be an American should own and listen to this CD.



3. This Cd is an excellent docuemtnary with complete versions of the Freedom songs of the Civil rights movmeent of the 60s.
   
   Wonderful stuff both for the historian or a lover of uplifting music. The Calypso takeoff of Harry belafonte's "Day-o" (Calypso Freedom) is quite witty and would have done Handsome Harry proud. ("Come Mr. Kennedy give us integration/Freedom come and me want to go home!"). "Get Your Rights Jack" does the same with Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack" ("And don't be a tom no more no more no more no more"). But songs like the "Ballad of Medgar Evers" "I Shall Not Be Moved" and the tribute to Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman (the Black and Jewish civil rights team that was killed in Mississippi in 1964) strike straight to the heart as do the tunes sung by the legendary Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer. The sermon and song by Rev. Lawrence Campbell of Danville Virginia needs no explaination. Hear it and you'll understand that MLK was by no means the only eloquent preacher of this movement. Oginga Odinga, BTW, was an African freedom fighter of that era and Malcolm X was quite pleased when the SNCC Freedom Singers (who later morphed into Sweet Honey in the Rock) sang this at a 1964 program where he spoke.
   
   Fans of the similar CD "Sing For Freedom" are bound to compare the 2 CD's. "SFF" has more in the way of little-known speeches by such luminaries as Dr. King, Medgar Evers, Ralph Abernathy, etc. Some tunes overlap on the two cd's but buy "SFF" for the speeches and this one for the music as a companion piece.



4. This double-CD reissue of "The Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966" documents the importance of songs in the Civil Rights Movement. Teachers covering this tumultuous time in American History in their class can certainly give students a better sense for the time by not only showing videos of the peaceful demonstrations and police brutality, but by playing them some of the songs from this album. Many of these freedom songs were recorded live in mass meetings held in churches. These are not just spirituals and gospel songs, but draw upon rhythm and blues, football chants, blues, and calypso for their beauty and energy. The first disc features songs from mass meetings, where a singer or core of singers leads the people in the singing of the songs, while the second focuses on ensemble works by the SNCC Freedom Singers and other groups. The accompanying booklet written by Bernice Johnson Reagon combines historic photographs with insights into each song, providing an excellent education in the meaning of the music. Reagon not only explains how these songs were song, but also which songs were prominent for the Selma-to-Montgomery March ("Governor Wallace"), "Freedom Train" for the vigil for the Mississippi Democratic Party elections, and so on.

   Chances are that unless you were involved in the Civil Rights Movement you will not especially recognize many of these songs, with "This Little Light of Mine," "Go Tell It On the Mountain," and "We Shall Overcome" being the obvious exceptions. But you will be surprised at some of the popular songs that were appropriate for the cause, such as "Calypso Freedom," based on Harry Belafonte's "The Banana Boat Song," and "Get Your Rights, Jack," based on the Ray Charles hit "Hit the Road, Jack." For me the song that stood out was "In the Mississippi River," written by Marshall Jones after the disappearance of three Civil Rights workers in Mississippi during the summer of 1964. As local rivers were dragged in search of the men, many other bodies were discovered, a chilling fact that certainly needs to be more than a historic footnote to that tragic event. There is also a lengthy segment from a sermon by Rev. Lawrence Campbell, which illustrates the song-sermons that were an integral part of the movement and its traditions. The result is a historical document of immense value to teachers and their students.

   Folkways Records was founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler in 1948 to document music and spoken word from around the world. The Smithsonian Institution acquired Folkways from the Asch estate and has succeeded in preserving the best of the label's 2,200 albums. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has continued this grand tradition. I have checked out a half-dozen of their offerings and their are uniformly superb, especially in terms of providing the historical context by which we can best appreciate these songs from another place and another time.




5. For any one interested in the freedom struggle in the sixties this is essential listening. The first disc of recordings made in the South during the mid sixties captures the importance of music at the mass meetings.

   The second disc with ensemble recordings shows the skill of the SNCC singing groups.

   The cd is accompanied by extensive liner notes by Bernice Johnson Reagan, herself a member of a SNCC ssinging group and founder of "Sweet Honey in the Rock". She draws out not only the historical references in the songs, but also the different African American musical influences at play.

5 comments about The Jesus Record.

1. Genuine and truthful composition and lyrics! The arrangements are the best I ever heard among many christian cds! The first time when I started to hear the songs( remake with orchestral arrangement version not the Mullen's original recirding)tears started to flow out of controll for its ultimate beauty and spirit filled composition....
   Chuck girald's ( Especially his spirit filled recently released cd), Vineyard music and this cd, Andra Crouch's, Richard Smallwoods' are the truely the astounding cream of the crop of American's High level Gospel music.



2. Every song is great. What else can I say? What person is more important than Jesus? What topic is more important than the Cross?



3. I have loved every song I have ever heard Rich Mullins sing. Knowing that the demo cd was the last he ever recorded made it more poignant and worshipful than hearing the versions made in styles I don't believe Rich ever would have used. With the exception of some of the tracks sung by Rick Elias, the songs on the "remake" were a bit lacking.
   The writing of the original songs is excellent and goes to a depth not heard before from Rich's music. The first time I heard "Jesus" I cried at how powerful a song it is. "Hard to get" is an accurate description of the thoughts that go through one's mind when in a desert place.
   All in all the writing is beyond excellent, but the mixes miss the mark.



4. Was purchased for church use for one song but we have not listened to it yet.



5. Arrived in good condition in a timely manner. I really enjoy a couple of the songs. There some songs I'm not really fond of. I wish I had been able to buy just one CD. It came with two that are exactly the same, except that one is a demo CD.

3 comments about Worship.

1. As a student at Liberty University in the years 1990's, I was exposed to the music of Miachael and have ever since stayed in love with his music. This present collection of two CD and DVD is simply worshiping God at it's best. There is a section during the concert were even Michael couldn't do anything but let the Holy Spirit of God do His thing! The Spirit of God just rained down, filled the atmosphere and was so sweet, some people cried. Michael had to take his fingers off the key board and just listen to the crowd as the crowd sing to the Lord. This is Worship and praise at it's best.
   Dr. Israel King, Ph.D. Author of How To Keep A Man



2. This is a 3 cd boxed set featuring the 'Worship' audio cd, the 'Worship Again' audio cd and the 'Worship' 2002 Canada live concert dvd featuring songs from both audio cds. It also includes some bonus features. I love the songs on the audio cds. They are songs we all know and can sing along to. The live worship experience is awesome, and spiritually uplifting. It's such a great value to have this muti-purpose boxed set rather than buying all three separately.



3. MWS has evolved into an phenominal worship leader. This collection is a must have for any Christian who loves modern praise and worship.

5 comments about 100 Hymns and Praise Classics.

1. It is hard to find compilations that give you more than a taste of the music you want. That is not the case with these CD's. It lifts my heart to hear older more traditional Hymns performed in this age of pop worship which I will admit has it's place. Any form of worship to the Lord is better than most of the degrading music on secular CD's, radio and TV. Not all of the renditions hit the bullseye but just hearing them done with the reverence they deserve is truly the reason I bought this set. Just the sheer number of Hymns is gratifying. Praise the Lord!!!



2. If you like traditional hymns and the majectic Mormon Tabernacle Choir sound. This is not it.



3. As best I can tell, Madacy first released the 3-CD box set entitled "100 Best Loved Hymns" in 2001, featuring various artists performing traditional classics. Since the original release, those same 100 tracks -- same singers, same musicians, same arrangements -- have been mixed and matched into so many other CDs that I keep uncovering them. Some or all of these original tracks have been used in different combinations to produce: "100 Hymns and Praise Classics" (4-CD box set), attributed to 'Various Artists'; "50 Hymns & Praise Favorites" (2-CD set) and "50 Hymns & Praises" (3 CDs), attributed to the Joslin Grove Choral Society; "A Treasury of Golden Hymns" and "50 Amazing Hymns", attributed to the Great Plains Chorale; and "Inspirations: 50 Best Loved Hymns", disingenuously attributed to Thomas Kinkade solely because he provided the cover art. All of these CDs are posted separately on the Amazon site.
   
   Of all of those releases, this is one that has all 100 tracks. At the time of this writing, its cost is comparable to that of the releases that have fewer than the full 100 tracks. Thus, if you like the Madacy collection of classic hymns, this is the logical one to buy. (Suitable, and perhaps less expensive, alternatives are any one of the multiple releases of the 3-CD "100 Best Loved Hymns" box set, all of which have exactly the same tracks.)
   
   Regarding the content of this oft-released, multi-titled, multi-attributed collection of tracks, the hymns are sung in traditional arrangements, often with a full choir accompanied by a piano or organ. Some are by soloists or smaller groups of singers, accompanied by a piano. If you're looking for a solid traditional presentation of these classics, you will probably not be disappointed. I would give the music 4 stars rather than 5 because some of this choral group's soloists on some tracks -- while good singers -- have voices that are perhaps not sufficiently smooth and mellow to allow them to come across well as soloists on a recording. However, I have boosted the rating to 5 stars for this particular box set because it is the full 100-track version, and I want to distinguish it from the 4-star ratings that I have given to the other releases having fewer than the full 100 tracks.



4. I would recommend this 100 Hymns & praise CD because it has all the classic favorite hymns that I like. It's a complete set and all of the songs were wonderful with beautiful vocals. I would highly Recommend it to anyone who likes traditional hymns. Some of the CD had similiar tone/instrument sounds and most of them are choir sung and not individual vocals but overall the songs were AWESOME! This set is great to Praise God at home or in the car!



5. All I can say is don't listen to these CD's while driving in heavy traffic. You don't want to be trapped in a car with THE SOPRANO. At some point someone should have said, "OK Doris, back away from the Mic and let someone else have a chance." Maybe she's married to the producer. And let's talk about the automated-percussion. I don't know about you, but I don't really think "I Love to Tell the Story" needs a lot of cymbals, but that's just me. I came to anticipate each and every cymbal crash, and I was not disappointed. Amazon should put this in the 2 for $5.99 bin. Makes this Lutheran girl long for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.