1 comments about Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection.

1. If you have to listen to any music, this is the collection to listen to. It covers all the basic beginnings of American Music and leaves you with a want for more. You will have all the tracks memorized and will be playing the CD even after the machine is shut-off. The CD shows the incredible range of American music. This is the BEST.

5 comments about Cristy Lane - 20 Greatest Hits.

1. This budget collection contains Cristy's recordings of twenty gospel songs including the song that she will be forever associated with in America, One day at a time, with which Cristy had a number one country hit. That song was a hit for different singers in different countries and for that reason, Cristy Lane may not be well known outside her homeland. (For the record, Lena Martell had a UK number one pop hit with One day at a time. It was the only UK hit single of any kind that Lena had although she placed six albums in the UK album charts.)
   
   Despite the strength of that classic song, there is much more to Cristy's music. Cristy had some success as a country singer (six top ten hits and three others in the top twenty) but despite making some great music, she never established herself in the front rank of female country singers.
   
   Apart from One day at a time, Cristy's country hits are all omitted from this compilation, but what you get instead are Cristy's versions of many famous gospel songs, some of which are tradtional while others are of more recent vintage, but all sound wonderful as sung by Cristy.
   
   When I bought this CD, there wasn't a lot of choice. Cristy's music is now much better represented on CD. You can now find other compilations of her gospel music as well as her non-gospel country recordings. Some compilations pick from both. While this CD is enjoyable, I'm not necessarily sure that it's the best choice amongst what is now available, especially as the packaging is what you'd expect of a budget compilation. Maybe one day, I'll be able to expand my compilation of Cristy's music. In the meantime, I can enjoy listening to Cristy sing what she's best at - easy listening country gospel songs.



2. I loved this CD. Christy Lane has a beautiful voice that really does justice to all the songs she sings. This is one of the nicest inspirational CDs in my collection.



3. The product came quickly. It was exactly as advetised and met expectations. Thank You.



4. Why in the world does someone sign up on a site and write one review of an album they have never heard by an artist they are woefully ignorant about?
   
   This isnt really my kind of music ... [I'm much more likely to pop on some black or death metal] ... but I still have some really great childhood memories of this artists music being played by my mother. Country-ish gospel music that certainly deserves better than some 1 star review by someone that doesnt even know what they are talking about.



5. For those who do not know who Christy Lane is, this CD is a great place to start. She is a true gospel legend. I grew up with her lovely voice. From entertaining the troops of Vietnam to filling my childhood home with her music, I am glad to find a greatest hits collection worthy of her legacy.

5 comments about Amazing Grace, Vol. 2: A Country Salute to Gospel.

1. The Fisrt cd is alot better than this one, but this one is still okay. I only Liked one song on this disc and it is. Track 4. Will The Circle Be Unbroken/I'll Fly Away/ Jesus Loves Me. Don't get me wrong the music is beautiful, but i think the first one is alot better.



2. Awesome.... Again! Power In The Blood, such a blessing! I've had this cd since the release date... Still one I play often!



3. A beautiful CD, and my personal favorite. This CD was a tremendous comfort to me and my family after the loss of my brother. We had selections played at his services that held special meaning for us, and made his passing easier to accept. Beautiful, Soothing, Comforting, Worshipful.



4. Now this is what a country gospel album should sound like! Excellent. You'll hear no complaints from me.



5. Anyone who enjoys country, gospel or those old hymns from church will love this collection!

5 comments about You'll Never Walk Alone.

1. My son used this CD and song for his wedding this summer. They used this song as they lite the unity candle. BEAUTIFUL!!



2. don't let the price fool you, this cd has 9 songs on it and many that are not on the ultimate gospel cd. i'm glad i bought it. there are songs i have never heard him sing before and he sings them so beautifully. epe really does an awesome job.



3. I love the CD. Elvis has a unique voice, which helps explain his enduring legacy. The songs are old favorites and are performed with his usual perfection. Listening to it brings me great pleasure. I highly recommend it to any who enjoy gospel sung by a smooth voice with great power. The only flaw is that it contains only 9 songs. I wish it had twice that number!



4. good elvis album if you like the music from the end of the 60's elvis made.
   It's not his best work, it's more an album for the real die hard fans.



5. ELVIS was always fond of godspell music so he would give 110 per cent when singing this type or religious music. This album, originally released in 1971, gathers songs from various sources: (There'll Be) Peace in The Valley, I Believe, It Is No Secret (What God Can Do) and Take My Hand, Precious Lord, were on an E.P. from 1957; Sing You Children comes from the "Easy Come, Easy Go" soundtrack (1966); "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "We Call On Him" from the 1967 recording sessions where Elvis was trying to reshape his music style; Who Am I? from the legendary 1969 Memphis sessions; and Let Us Pray, which includes one of the best rockin' bass lines from all Presley's songs, comes from the Change of Habit soundtrack, a godspell film itself. The King feels and gives himself enterely to all the songs as few artist could and can. The sound is great and at last the album comes with its original cover art, one of the best album cover of his discography. A Must!

No comments about Greatest Hits, Vol. 1.

5 comments about The Music of Bill Monroe.

1. Oh my goodness!! This is great for those who love the mandolin and Monroe's talents. Background and words included. Just wish it had the written music standards.



2. The only criticism I could weigh against this collection is that--although it's true that (as advertised) this is the only domestically available anthology of Bill Monroe's music that is cross-licensed across all of the major labels that he recorded for--within that, it's definitely weighted very heavily toward his MCA years. Four early tracks from his RCA/Bluebird period are represented, and his classic Columbia era gets the shortest shrift relative to its importance with only six songs in total. After that, the set moves quickly to his Decca/MCA period starting in 1950 and covers that in much greater depth over the remaining 87 tracks. The early songs, it must be said, are judiciously chosen and do represent the high points of this era, but a real Monroe afficionado will probably want that period to be represented in greater depth.
   
   This is undoubtedly a major drawback, then, if you are expecting this set to exhaustively document Monroe's early years, but if you're looking for a good general overview of his career--or if you're willing to invest separately for an in-depth anthology of his Columbia years--then this boxed set gets very high marks. It contains well over four hours' worth of prime Bill Monroe music and handsomely showcases his restless inventiveness within his notoriously persnickety insistence on purism and devotion to the classic bluegrass sound he helped to birth.
   
   It is because of that famous refusal to alter his sound that two things should be said about this collection--first, that the quality of the music is uniformly high. Unlike most artists with such longevity (the set covers nearly 60 years!), Bill never attempted to modernize his sound or pander to current trends, as even the great Johnny Cash did in the 80s. Bill Monroe was and remained Bill Monroe. This also means that the set can sound a little same-y after a while, especially if you're not a true bluegrass devotee, so consider before buying whether or not you really are committed to 98 tracks' worth of (true-)bluegrass.
   
   If you are, and if you're not deterred by the emphasis on his MCA period, then this set is hard to top. The sound is excellent throughout--even on the 1936 recording that kicks things off--and the accompanying booklet is gorgeous, with a wealth of great pictures and loving documentation & research. It's not perfect for all purposes, but it's a treasure trove of thrilling, exciting music of uncompromising excellence and energy, perfect for lovers of old-timey music. Dig in...



3. I have been listening to contemporary bluegrass for awhile now. So I decided it was time to go back and check out the original source of it all - the legendary Bill Monroe.
   
   This outstanding collection begins with his early days playing with brother Charlie in 1936 and goes all the way to a 1994 performance. In between are gathered 98 Monroe songs, including such classics as "Uncle Pen", "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" and "With Body And Soul".
   
   Of course, there were other old timey string bands featuring mandolin and fiddle before Bill Monroe came along. But it was his high pitched tenor vocals and fast playing style that created the unique "high lonesome sound" that came to be known as bluegrass. I can't imagine a better introduction to Monroe's music than this, so many great songs and also a a well designed booklet which provides photos and detailed liner notes outlining the different stages in Monroe's career. For any fan of bluegrass, new or old, this is a great musical purchase.



4. The packaging of this box set is very nice. The booklet that comes with the set is a pretty good abbreviated history of this fascinating icon of American music. Particularly interesting is reading about all of the Bluegrass Boys who later became bluegrass greats themselves- Flatt and Scruggs, Del McCoury, Sonny Osborne, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Martin and the list goes on.
   The only knock I have against this set is that some of the recordings are re-records of earlier Columbia classics, apparently at the behest of MCA records. It seems every box set either contains alternates or re-records which is puzzling to me. In the interest of history, I am only interested in the originally released recordings...



5. ...the foundation to all forms of American music. Having this much Monroe all in one place helps the listener understand the truly profound impact he had on the American musical soul. This collection is as timeless and current now as 50 years ago. Listen to all four discs chronologically the first time. The accompanying book with wonderful old photos is worth the price of the whole set.

5 comments about Lifeline.

1. Great condition and packaged well, received in a very short period of time, excellent service, loved the cd.



2. I reached into my glove compartment a few weeks ago and came up with Iris Dement's "My Life" tape. I had gotten it about a dozen years earlier and had played it over and over until I had finally had enough. When I played it again,it sounded so good that I went to Amazon to see what else she had out. I wanted her latest album because I wanted to hear how her voice had matured. It's all Gospel music so I was a bit wary since I don't particularly like it. I listened to a few excerpts and bought it. Like "My Life", I have played it over and over again. Her voice has gotten even better, much better. And the Gospel songs are very county/western in style. I found some of the lyrics on "My Life" to be a bit mawkish and self conscious. There's none of that on this album. Most of the songs are traditional Gospel songs. The subject matter is much bigger than discontents of an Idaho wife. With the voice, the musical style, and the subject matter, you can't go wrong!



3. We think it is a great C.D. and we have come to expect to be happy with Iris's music,we realy enjoyed the song that she wrote.



4. I love Iris DeMent, but in this album, perhaps because she felt it was the best vocal style for gospel, Iris uses a voice that is too forced. She comes across sounding hollow, with a put-on voice that someone would use when trying to sound down home. I would sing this way if I were doing a poor caricature of gospel folk singers. Since Iris already has a pure voice perfect for her music, she really shouldn't have gone this unnecessary step.
   
   After two songs, I nearly said out loud, "Stop it, Iris."



5. I sent this to my sister during the last days of her fight against breast cancer. She had mentioned how old time hymns "The ones you know the words to" brought her a lot of comfort.
   Iris Dement outdid herself on this one. She left the music scene for awhile and I have missed her music. Maybe a little more upbeat next time out Iris.

2 comments about When We Sing For Him.

1. This is a great example of the Statler Brothers singing gospel- It is a joy to just listen and enjoy



2. Before moving to Mercury, the Statlers owed Columbia, the label to which Johnny Cash recruited them, one more album. My recollection is that the 1969 album of gospel tunes was originally titled 'How Great Thou Art,' then later retitled 'Oh Happy Day.'
   Recently, a CD entitled 'Oh Happy Day' got hopes up for fans of pre-Mercury Statlers, but it was simply a compilation of Columbia recordings, and the title song was the only one from the Columbia gospel album. Most or all of the other stuff was already available on CD.
   This is the rest of the 1969 gospel album. It showcases the Statlers' unique voices and harmony like nothing since. They re-recorded many of the songs for their pair of biblically-themed albums soon after joining Mercury, but the ones I have heard indicate that they had already lost their edge.
   Particularly for fans of Lew DeWitt, the original Statler Brothers tenor, this album is a must. If you've heard this version of 'How Great Thou Art,' you won't be surprised by DeWitt's highs on 'Pass Me Not,' and his own 'Just in Time.' The rest is good, too, and of particular interest is 'Less of Me,' written by Glen Campbell.
   If you want the complete 1969 album, you'll have to find 'Oh Happy Day' separately, because it is not included here.

5 comments about Holy Bible/New Testament.

1. My wife and I love this album. If I could find more at a reasonable price:I would buy them for gifts.



2. Like I said about the Old Testmant CD....Two of my favorite things....The Holy Bible and The Statler Brothers! This CD is the product of the two coming together. What glorious stories and what glorious voices! Praise to the King and His mighty works in song. Terrific!



3. PLEASE SEE MY REVIEW ON THE STATLER BROTHERS "THE OLD TESTAMENT". IT IS GREAT AND THIS CD IS TOO!



4. I love this cd but it skips, i bought it about 3 months ago, ive tried to figure out how to return it for two hours, i want to trade it for the same cd any suggestions???



5. I have been listening to this audio tape for YEARS and YEARS, and never tire of it. I am pleased that I can now buy a CD of "The Holy Bible" by the Statler Brothers.

4 comments about Echoes of My Soul (Tender Moments, Volume 1).

1. I bought this as a gift for my father for fathers day. We had a 78rpm album of Shea's when we were kids and played it on our wind up Victrola. My dad loved it so I got him todays technological version of Mister Shea. He loves it. George is truely an inspiration.



2. How beautiful the voice and the soul behind it! George Beverly Shea is a wonder. This album showcases his colorful bass-baritone voice excellently, revealing a man dedicated to God and spreading the Word. The arrangements are tasteful, with the accompaniments neither being overpowering, cloying, nor pompous... which can be hard to find in a modern gospel recording. And those who have read some of my other reviews know I love powerfully written and performed music.
   I must take the opportunity to thank Mr. Shea for recording This Is My Father's World, which is one of my favorites. Kudos are also deserved for Steal Away, one of the most beautiful of all the spirituals. He does I Will Sing the Wondrous Story as a personal testimony to God.
   George Beverly Shea, to my ears, has always sung in a manner that shows a vast respect for God and the people he sings for. God bless him!



3. George Beverly Shea does an excellent job with the songs on this CD, especially Little Brown Church. No one can sing that like he can!! I'd recommend his CDs to anyone, anytime. He's the best!!



4. I like to think that I can emulate Bev. Shea. I have sung many of his renditions in church. I would recommend his recordings to anyone. His rich mellow voice thrills me and I appreciate being able to hear him using my computer. Thanks for this. Regards, Rod Daley