5 comments about Catholic Latin Classics.

1. I so love the Catholic Latin Classics. we now have the Latin Mass in the City where I live, so it's great to listen to this CD on the way to Latin Mass :-)



2. This cd is the absolute best. One review states that it is monotonous, but I only half agree. It is true that some of the songs sound the same but it does not get boring no matter how many times you listen to it. These hymns are the most beautiful I have heard. I listen to this cd constantly and have had it for about 3 months and I am not tired of it at all. The only problem I see is that Bach's ave Maria gets "blasty" in the stereo. It is the recording. It sounds like they had the microphone too close or something. Even then this cd is the best. If you are looking for latin hymns, this is it.



3. A sweet, inspiring, grand sound of angelic voices. Soothing chords that take one back to a rich high-church feel. This is what church music is supposed to be - the remedy to the inane hand-clapping choruses that seem to dominate church music these days. Chorus music may (debatable) have a function but it can never compete for the rich grandeur of these classics. Perfect for mood music or for worship - both private and corporate.



4. With the release of Pope Benedict XIV's Motu Proprio and the Summurum Pontificum, I hope we will see a return of such beautiful music to the Mass. The "Panis Angelicus", by tenor John Eskola, is sublime and the "Adoremus Te, Christe", brings tears to my eyes, as does the "Ave Verum Corpus".
   I can't say enough about this cd. I highly recommend it for those who love traditional Roman Catholic mass music.



5. Takes my husband & I back to the 60s........not a bad memory......

5 comments about Best of the Gaither Vocal Band.

1. The Gaither Vocal Band has always been a family favorite Christian rock group. I say rock, because their fine instrumental and vocal arrangements ROCKS and they do it without removing the focal point of praises to the Most High. I have too many favorite songs on this two-CD compilation to list. But one that strikes my heart is: A Brand New Song to Sing (track #8). This song reminds me of the stunning string section of Pink Floyd in their many song recordings. Unlike Pink Floyd's lyrical contents, The Gaither Vocal Band vocally crystalizes the messages of the Lord and in return permeates the room with their (many) fine vocal ranges in praises to the Lord. Don't miss this double compact disc (compilation). It is awesome!



2. The Cd is very Awesome and it is a Cd that every person should get, it will lift your spirit plus be blessed by every second you listen to it.



3. The Gaither Vocal band sings beautiful songs in many different styles. On this cd, you'll find the very best of them. There's a large selection of 37 songs on two cd's. Really a must-have for fans!



4. Have grown to expect good stuff from Gaither and this is another one where he hits the target! Good stuff. Love it.



5. For those not particularly interested in gospel singing, this CD may not appeal to you. We do enjoy the Gaithers and have several DVDs and CDs in our collection. We have especially enjoyed David Phelps who is no longer with the group, and we do miss his high tenor stylings that just make you want to stand up and clap.

5 comments about Three Wooden Crosses.

1. This CD is a great collection of Country Christian artists. The title song brings a lump to your throat.



2. I would agree with S. Friend below. Not bad, and unfortunately, not even all that good. Vince Gill, Josh Turner, and Allison Krauss top the list in terms of musical craftsmanship, melodies, and lyrics. The rest are sincere, earnest, but artless, bland, and in the case of John Michael Montgomery and "The Little Girl," just plain judgmental, and offensive.
   
   "Two non-believers, lost in this world. .. daddy drank all day and mommy did drugs... " which John Michael rhymed with the "hugs" the little girl never got. How about writing a song that doesn't sound holier-than-thou? How about reaching out to the "non-believers" instead of condemning them?
   
   What's the point of this kind of song? The people who need to hear this message aren't the "good Christians" that go to church and take good care of their kids. The lost souls need it. Don't turn them off totally.
   
   By the way, radical Muslims often refer to "non-believers" as a way of turning people against them. It's a sort of "hate language." Kind of makes you wonder why John Michael would choose to use those words?
   
   Carl Owen



3. This album is one I will listen to over, and over, and over again! The variety of artists, combined with the heart-warming and challenging themes makes it one I will never get tired of!



4. If you love country and want to be inspired by songs of God's grace and love, then you will love this one. A wide range of artists and styles.



5. THIS CD JUST BLEW ME AWAY. IT'S AWESOME, I MUST HAVE LISTENED TO IT 25 TIMES STRAIGHT THROUGH WITHOUT CHANGING TO ANOTHER CD. I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE EVERYONE I KNOW A COPY.

5 comments about The Best of the Staple Singers.

1. I don't listen to music to get lessons in life any more than I read literature to learn how to rebuild automatic transmissions. That said, there is something completely undeniable about the attitude driving every note and word of this music. Ironically, it never comes across as "preachy" - although it often is - it's just that the Staple family - Pops and daughters Mavis, Cleo, and Yvonne, have a philosophy, a point of view - and they talk it, walk it, sing about it, and exude it in everything they do. It's joyful, healthy, righteous, tough-minded, and most of all - loving. Plenty of music makes you feel good; this music makes you feel good about life - and being human.
   
   The CD captures the Staple Singers in the glory days of their career. It has the obligatory hits you must have, Respect Yourself, Come Go With Me, I'll Take You There, and Be What You Are - (the latter sounds as current today as the latest, hippest, self-help seminar held in Aspen for $5,000 a seat). But when you dig a little deeper to the tracks that didn't make it onto jukeboxes across the nation and the world, the news is just as good. There really are no dogs on this CD at all; the closest I found were the remakes of standards - Dock Of The Bay and The Weight. While these covers played a role in keeping the Staples in business, they offer nothing new. Both songs were overexposed and covered by countless others, at this point they are dead horses with "Please Do Not Beat" signs on them.
   
   What the Staple Singers achieved is nothing less than amazing. This music is funky enough to satisfy even the most hardcore James Brown devotee, and yet, there's a lightness and sweetness to it that makes you feel like you just opened a window. The Mississippi jubilee gospel roots are never far away, but they're never too thick either, the balance is always perfect. If you imagine The Original Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi as a hurricane of redemption, ecstasy, and testifying - The Staple Singers are a stroll in the park on a beautiful spring day. The message is the same - you are blessed, and you owe it to yourself and your creator to behave as if you're blessed. But the style is different. An extraordinary CD that puts it all together - and - you can dance to it. Pretty hard to top that.



2. I was about four years old when I first heard a song by The Staple Singers. I was so impressed, even at that young age. What drew my attention more than anything was the singing voice of Mavis Staples. The sound and soul of her voice remained with me long after their song went off. When I was about seven, Mavis recorded an album and every time her song came on the television or radio, I would take a close listen. She has the most intense, soulful voice I have ever heard. No one's singing voice can compare. I had to have a Staples Singers compilation in my collection. After listening, I am very pleased. This is true music with a message. This family always interpolated great instrumentation with soulful singing and memorable lyrics. I commend them for doing that effectively. They are definitely one of my favorite acts of all time.
   
   Although many of these songs are akin, it is still worth listening to entirely. The Staple Singers infused secular music with gospel; not many musical acts have done that, so they were innovators. "I'll Take You There", "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)", "The Weight", "Heavy Makes You Happy", and "Respect Yourself" are all masterfully crafted pieces. Also, they sound great together. Pops makes sure give us a dose of his guitar skills with every song, and it is a great added touch. Their melodies will have you snapping your fingers and tapping your feet uncontrollably while singing along. Their lyrics are very easy to remember, but don't think that their music was not profound. For example, "I'll Take You There" is about accompanying someone to heaven. Make sure you give this song a close listen.
   
   This album is essential to musical collections both small and great. The Staple Singers were popular during a truly definitive era of music, and they stood out because they didn't conform in any way. Well worth the purchase. 4 shining stars.
   
   Mikeisha's Top 5
   
   1. "I'll Take You There"
   2. "My Main Man"
   3. "This Old Town (People in this Town"
   4. "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)"
   5. "Heavy Makes You Happy"



3. Great old rhythm and blues! On the song,"I'll Take You There" you almost get the feel of sitting in with the Staples and the awesome Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. You can hear Mavis calling out to Barry (Beckett)to play that piano. And then "David, little David" as she brings out the thumping bass of David Hood. And when she calls for Daddy to play the guitar, its actually one of the greatest ever blues players that most have never heard of, the late Eddie Hinton. This album was just another one of the greats to come out of that soulful, ex-casket factory of a studio there in Sheffield, Alabama.



4. There's something about music that touches the soul and this cd does that and more. It takes you back before rap and disco to the time when a simple groove was just fine. A must for any cd collection.



5. Gospel at its Best...Soul at its Best...Encouragement at its Best...

5 comments about Business Up Front Party In The Back (Diamond Edition).

1. If you're looking for good, clean fun, look no further. Also, be sure to check out their new CD, "Dance Or Die", out 8/19/08. And if you EVER get a chance to see these guys live, GO! They are pure entertainment both on stage and in the stereo.



2. This album is so fun and energetic you could work out to it. Also If your having a bad day, it totally lifts your spirit.



3. I had downloaded most of the tracks off of this album a good while back before I ever really knew who FF5 was. Yeah, I don't really think you can call them a "Christian" band in the sense that they are not beating people over the head with a Bible or preaching the gospel message from behind the mic stand. Personally, this doesn't bother me. The majority of the music I listen to doesn't fall inside the Christian spectrum anyway. Still, this album does deserve some redemption simply from the song Face Down. I heard it on a local Atlanta radio station and bought the album. Sure, most of the songs are songs that have been done before in style by probably a hundred different rap rock artists with better vocals and talent, but FF5 isn't that bad of a group, just not the best. I have never seen them live, don't really know what kind of people they are away from the stage, etc., nor do I really care. Their relationship with God is simply that, THEIRS. As far as driving beats and crazy music go, it's relatively a fair listen. I'd still recommend Thousand Foot Krutch over them(at least their first album-for style)- but I'm not gonna bash FF5 either. If you want your music up front with a message, then go listen to Third Day or something like that. If you just want a fun disc to listen to, yeah, you could do better than FF5, but heck, you could do a lot worse too.



4. This was definately worth the $9 I paid for it. Probably the best $9 I ever spent! I absoulutely love this cd. They have such a unique sound and style. I can't even describe it. They're kind of similar to like children 18:3, but not really.
   
   I love every song on this cd. It's just amazing. Definately splurge on this one rather than the first because "Never Let Me Go" is on this one and I love that song. They really put on a wonderful concert too! That's where I fist heard them. It always puts a smile on my face to hear them jammin. There is not a doubt in my mind that you will love this cd as much as I do. Definately in my top 5 cd's EVER!!! Yes, it's that good!!!!



5. Crunk rock... whoda thunk? Family Force 5 really lays it out with this incredible release. The Diamond Edition is certainly one of the biggest improvements over an original I've seen. Without, "I Love You to Death" this album wouldn't be half as good... That being said, "Earthquake," "Kountry Gentlemen" and "Cadillac Funque" are some of the most infectious songs I've ever heard (Face Down is also a haunting rock/hardcore punk "ballad?" that shouldn't be missed." Overall, if you have a high standard for quality, and refuse to listen to the profanity ridden trash that's released nowadays, you'll really enjoy this album. However, if you're looking for deep meaning and truth, you won't find it here. Thousand Foot Krutch anyone?

3 comments about Free.

1. Mr. Hobbs doesn't miss the mark when it comes to taking you away into God's presence. He's a true worship minister. The only reason I did not give this project 5 stars is because the title song is on the cd twice. I'd much rather hear another song rather than the title song twice (even acoustic). I bought 2 cds by mistake, but I decided to keep them both -- for my home and my car -- this is that kind of cd. If you like contemporary Gospel you'll like this project.



2. As I have listened to this CD, and finally pull out the credits. You'll first see that Darwin Hobbs is now on TYSCOT RECORDS and not EMI! Hmmm, I wonder why, but that's just me being noisey. TYSCOT always seems to me, a record company that allows the artist to make a lot decisions in which way they chose. First, to understand the album you have to understand the background behind it, in Darwin Hobbs doing some house cleaning from the past by coming out about him being molested as a pre-teen. NE ways, you can do some hunting on the net for the story. I'm a supporter of Darwin's ministry and have 3 of his previous projects, and I must admit...I had to sort of adjust with some of the project. But after about a week, I began to CLING to songs like: YOUR GRACE IS ENOUGH (which allows you to pull out your bible and go over the promises that the Lord has given us...ex: Jer 29:11 ETC.)...and others like: IN THIS PLACE, (which has a breakdown that really pulls me right in the middle of the song..."there is love here, there is peace here, there is joy here, in this place...") and looked at the credits to see Darwin had part in writing this tune. I'm also really glad that he decided to put FREE, the acoustic version on this CD, it allowed me to enjoy the song even more than the original...as it at first seems too overbearing, instrumentation wise. But I love the song Darwin, if you're reading this! OK...GET READY!!! Cut number 6: I REPENT, is a vital part of this project. With an essence of the late Luther Vandross' style here. This will be a tune that will help our lifestyle of repenting. I appreciate the arrangement, strings...and the little or no rhythmn section. And I think that this album wouldn't have been with HE'S ABLE, which you can pull up and watch on youtube....YOU MUST HAVE THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION! Darwin we need a live DVD from you, with tons of behind the scenes interviews and commentary from you and Traci!



3. Overall the CD is just OK and Dobbs is a Blessed male artist. I just wished that this recording was live like the last song than being studio recorded.

5 comments about Say It.

1. What a wonderful role model for young girls. My girls 8 and 6 love this CD - and their cousin age 12 can really relate on a deeper level as she starts those 'changing' years. Britt speaks the truth in a very real way to young girls who are bombarded with secular pop garbage from every direction. Great CD in every way. Why would we want our young girls listening to over-sexualized and superfiscal pop - when there is music that they can relate to on every level. Thank you, Lord!



2. This CD is amazing! its powerful! just look up the words of each song! is a Beautiful cd! a cd of grace, mercy and love!



3. this is a great Christian rock band, if you listen to Lifehouse or bands similar to them, then you will love Britt Nicole.



4. I heard one of her songs on a local Christian radio station and really liked it. I bought this CD for my teenage daughters and they love the songs, style of music and Britt's voice. She is a talented young artist. We hope to hear more of her on the radio.



5. I really injoy this cd and listen to it all the time. the music is up beat and the lyrics are meaningful and fun!

1 comments about Top 25 Praise & Worship Songs 2009.

1. This CD was excellent. I was amazed at the number of songs (25 total) for such a low price.

5 comments about Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances.

1. This is a great 2 CD set if your a gospel music fan and a must have if you're and Elvis fan.



2. I bought this 2 CD set for my beloved because he had lost his CD. I listen to these myself and these 50 Christian songs have become a tremendous blessing to me, in fact I intend to buy a copy for myself as well. There are songs on these 2 CDs that fit every situation that person goes through in life. One of the most amazing things about it is that as you listen to these songs it gives you a glimpse into the spiritual life of Elvis in spite of the tremendous temptations he went through in his life. His early introduction to Jesus in his childhood influenced him his entire life. He never lost his love for Jesus nor the Christian hymns that touched his spiritual life. It is obvious that these songs had meaning for him and the other performers and that they enjoyed the experience of recording them. Surely these songs he recorded were a blessing to him in his final days on this earth.



3. This is a great selection and is very well done. I highly recommend it.
   JIm Mixon



4. I bought this album for a friend for Christmas because I have one myself and I love it so much. It is my favorite Elvis Presley album. He had such a beautiful voice and sang all the hymns with his whole heart. How Great Thou Art is the most powerful hymn ever written. Anyone who loves Gospel music should purchase this album.



5. The double plastic CD case was cracked when it arrived. I did not know it until I had already opened the package. It had a cardboard sleeve over the double case which prevented me from seeing the crack. Is there any recourse now?

No comments about Country Bluegrass Homecoming, Vol. 2.