5 comments about The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album.

1. The music for the Preachers Wife with Whitney Houston was very good.It takes your mind back to the movie as it should,some time when you buy sound tracks to movies they do not co-inside with each other.That is not the case with this sound track.



2. I am not a big fan of Gospel music, the only reason for purchasing this album is for the Whitney Houston tracks. I was a fan of the songs "I Believe In You & Me" and "Step By Step". I didn't care for the movie, but the soundtrack wasn't all that bad. Whitney does sing the Christmas songs great. She should of released her own Christmas album, following this album. But she waited years later and that might be a reason why it flopped. Hopefully Whitney can get back to her roots and continue to sing with her beautiful voice.



3. I listen to thos soundtrack and it is amazing. This is the gospel side of Whitney Houston and it is beautiful, so enjoy if you would like to hear Whitney at her best



4. I think that Whitney's musical performances in THE PREACHER'S WIFE are among the very best of her career. Most people have never heard her sing gospel unless they caught her and her mother, Cissy, singing on different music award shows (where they blow everyone away!) I think that MUCH of the material on her albums is soulless mush and power ballads that don't give her the opportunity to sing with real conviction. This soundtrack is an exception. It really let's us hear just what Whitney is capable of when given music that is as special as her gift. And that's true with the gospel numbers and ESPECIALLY on "I Believe in You and Me" - a beautifully written song performed with grace and maturity.
   Another example of what Whitney can do when given great material appears on an album dedicated to songs written by Curtis Mayfield; again, her instincts are right on target and she does a phenomenal job. Maybe she needs to get rid of Clive - get a mentor/producer/whatever who will bring better material to Whitney and allow that incredible voice to soar.



5. Even tho I loved the movie, I was rather disappointed in the CD, as it is not what I would call a Sountrack. There are a few songs I don't recall from the movie, and the ones that she sang on the CD, were not as they were in the move. For example---Who would imagine a King---She sang this with the Childrens choir in the movie, and alone on the CD. She sang about three or four songs with the adult choir, and only heard them once on the CD and that was at the end. For a soundtrack, I would not recommend it. It should have just been called a Christmas Album.

5 comments about Sunday School Songs.

1. This is a great CD for Kids who are starting out at Sunday Schools. The tunes are great and can be easily followed.
   My daughter was very pleased with this CD...



2. This was a great purchase for my 7yr old grandson. He listens to it every night at bedtime. Loved it



3. This is a Great CD with great songs. We also have the similar version in DVD and the songs and video are great. My son loves these songs, so do we. Highly recommended.



4. My eleven yr old first heard the songs on this CD about 5 years ago. He still really enjoys listening to them now. The CD was a replacement purchase for the old tapes we wore out.



5. I just bought this CD for myself and I love it! It would be great for students in a private school, or for Christmas, or sitting by a campfire at summer camp. These religious tunes are probably the most beautiful I have ever heard. My favorites are "He's got the Whole World" and "Michael Row the Boat." Up till today, I never even knew that the "he" of the first song mentioned in this review refers to the one-and-only God. Basically, this is an ideal CD to have in every child's house and every grade school since it teaches children to appreciate God more than anything else in the universe. Just ignore the fact that track 29 is substantially different from track 14. I must say these wonderful songs are waaaaaaaay better than some of the dull kids TV shows that came out recently. Oh, and if some of you animé fans out there like shows like "Water-spider Wonder-spider," you'll like this, too! Get it and you'll see what I mean.

5 comments about Anthology Of American Folk Music (Edited By Harry Smith).

1. There are some truly haunting performances here, and some funny ones, and some of everything, really. This stuff is so far deeper and weirder and spookier than any folk I've ever heard. It's the motherlode; Harry Smith wandered around and got these recordings before radio started, and thus we get true folk music, passed down the generations and from that area, or from the motherland of the musicians, with the spirit of the New World.
   The vibes are palpable, varied, and intense. Lots of "mistakes", but so much feeling that missed notes only add to the experience.
   If you've ever liked any folk music at all, whether Leadbelly, the Seegers, the Carter family, early Dylan, or if you need to know where real country music comes from, this is your collection.
   Too many highlights to list. Beautiful and detailed booklet with notes on each tune makes it even better...though listening first with no preconceptions and creating your own story for the songs is probably an even better way to let this stuff seep into your subconscious.
   Best of all, it's probably at your local library.



2. Great stuff. Yet some of the singing is almost too real, too raw. Bob Dylan cites this album as a main inspiration, and you can hear his singing and songwriting style in a lot of the songs. Not for everybody, and may be even too much for casual folk music fans. Has to be listened to in the context of a historical document.



3. This CD compilation set is more than just an album of music--it's a historical document. I first heard of the AAFM in a Bob Dylan biography--after buying this and listening to it, I can understand how Bob was inspired to ditch his Little Richard aspirations and travel the rugged road of folk. Through the three sections--Ballads, Social Music (mostly instrumentals), and Songs (kind of like ballads, but less story-oriented), this collection not only contains some great, timeless music and performances, it's also steeped in pure humanity--the real essence of true folk music. The people Harry Smith collected and anthologized were mostly just that: folk. People like you and me who love music, and play the songs they've been handed down. You don't have to be Bob Dylan to appreciate and be moved by songs that have been passed down through the generations and soulfully interpreted by many different artists.
   
   Aside from some essential listening ("Coo Coo Bird," "Stackalee," "Mississippi Boweavil Blues," "I wish I Was a Mole in the Ground," etc. etc.), the package has some great supplementary material. It's very interesting to learn about the song information and performer information that Smith collected with his anthology, but it's also interesting to get a glimpse into his project, seeing how he relentlessly collected and chose which songs to represent. He was a true lover of music, and that love is reflected in his project.
   
   Please don't come to this compilation expecting pristine sound quality--it was assembled in the 50's, which means that the recordings come from then as well as much earlier--it's about the music and performers anyway, and a little bit of scratch really doesn't detract that much from the organic, down home experience. It IS a bit of a shame that there are 6 CDs, but really only about 4 full CDs worth of music--it would have been OK with me if the Ballad/Social Music/Songs organization was not cleanly divided between discs to save space, since the division isn't very efficient, but I suppose the reissuers wanted to emulate the original vinyl collection. I don't really find the material to be homogeneous like the second spotlight reviewer does, although I do agree that Roots N' Blues: Retrospective 1925-1950 is also a great compilation (though it's getting harder and harder to find)--I'd recommend getting both for a great complementary experience.
   
   Hopefully this set never goes out of print, as it's a great piece of art that any music fan or musician can learn a lot from--and enjoy, too! It's a shame that Smith had to preserve this music as it was beginning to die out even as he was collecting it, but it's also heartwarming that such classic sounds can be preserved for us to hear so many years later and keep the tradition alive. Enjoy the living history!



4. This collection led to the "re-discovery" of many artists who had dissapeared after when the depression crippled the recording industry. Mississippi John Hurt is probably the most famous as of now, but others, like Clarence Ashley were major finds at the time - and when Folkways sent a field crew to do a new record by Ashley he requested some assist from a young friend named Doc Watson. Watson was unknown outside his home town at the time but went on to become a major star in a field which has very few stars.
   Listening to many cuts on this album you can hear the source of much material for folk groups as diverse as the New Lost City Ramblers and The Holy Modal Rounders, rock groups like Canned Heat, and The Grateful Dead. Some of the melodies will be familiar to fans of Dylan, others to Jorma Kaukonan listeners. There are otehrs -- many many others.
   This set is the source, the headwaters of reissues, and revivals. An essential part of any folk music collection.



5. I dont think there is a need to go into to much detail about this *6 CD* set. If you can fork over the cash, just buy it. If you have any interest in roots music, just buy it. If you thought ol' Bobby Dylan and the Band made some great weird music in the basement of big pink in '67 .. for the love of god, BUY THIS! strange, unadorned, raw music , just buy it.

4 comments about Joy to the World.

1. Well, this is an interesting compilation... make no mistake this CD was NOT a project. This is strictly a Sony compilation from Sony's vault... Actually the Christmas songs on this CD can be had on many other CD's that are currently out there. However, Aretha & Mavis Staple singing "Oh Happy Day" together is worth the price of admission!!! That's the gem on this compilation. AFter listening to that, I mailed my church my tithes!!!Also, "Over the Rainbow" sounds like a young Patti Labelle singing instead of Aretha. Aretha may be playing the piano, but it's DEFINITELY Patti vocals... Why Patti wasn't credit in the insert is befuddling... Patti, Sony just may owe you a check!!



2. Aretha's take on "Joy to the world" is one of the best I've heard. It is exactly what you would expect from her. I can never understand what makes her tick, but I guess that is what genius is. I've collected all these songs over the years on separate issues, but it's very nice to finally have them all on one disc.



3. What can you say, but simply fantastic! Can't imagine a holiday without her music.



4. As an Aretha aficionado, I enjoy 99.9% of everything she does. Girlfriend could sing the phone book to me and I'd be thrilled. This Holiday collection is nice...not all songs are related to the Season. Her duet with Mavis Staples is excellent and of course her Winter Wonderland is a classic. If anyone wants something a little different for the Holidays, this could be a nice CD as an alternative to what's on your normal playlist.

5 comments about The Fight of My Life.

1. I love this CD. I have it set to play when my alarm comes on in the morning. I can't say anything bad about this CD. It is blessing me during my worship time and my praise time. There's something on here for everyone, every time I try to leave Kirk alone, he comes back with something better that I just gotta have!! I love Chains, I Wanna Believe, they speak to my heart and my reality. Enjoy!



2. I highly suggest this cd for people who are really wanting a change in their life and willing to be doers! It contains real life situations that almost anyone can relate to.



3. I found this cd to be excellent. The music is great and the lyrics are deep and make you think. I really enjoyed this latest album by Kirk Franklin
   and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Gospel music.



4. What can I say? This album brings Kirk to top form again. Reminds me of the God's Property & Nu Nation Project albums, which contain some of my best songs ever. Excellent compilation. Get it!



5. Very uplifting!!! Kirk Franklins' music has a way of getting into your soul, with bit of a hip-hop egde!!!

4 comments about One Life.

1. This is the first Christian CD i have ever purchased, and i absolutely love this CD. If it wasn't for my fellow shipmates in helping find Christ again, I pry would have never found him, and fell in love this music. I'm getting ready to buy thier 1st CD. Praise the Lord for he is great, and will protect us as long as we trust in him.



2. The album One Life is a great and inspirational listen. Whether you need uplifted or give praise to God...the is the album to find it in.



3. Short version, if you liked the first album you'll like this one, no doubt. I really like the sound these guys have, a very unique rock/pop with a little mix of country here and there. You may have heard "One Life" on the radio and its a great song, but "Gone" and "Just One of Those Days" are also very good and I hope they get some radio time, too. There really isn't a weak song on the album, all are good to listen to straight through so I highly recommend this album. Great music, great message! :)



4. I've been a fan of 33 Miles ever since the first time I heard "What Could Be Better" on the radio. I thoroughly enjoyed their debut album, but this one is even better. Literally every song is great. 33 Miles is, in my opinion, one of the best bands to come along in christian music, and I look forward to them having a long career.

1 comments about Pour My Love on You.

1. Prophetess Bynum is anointed by God to sing, preach, and teach. She really is a blessing from our Lord, God, Jesus. I love her music, it comes from the heart. She lives what she sings about. Prophetess Juanita Bynum is a powerful, and an anointed woman of God.
   
   Evangelist Terry Watson

5 comments about American Primitive, Vol. 2.

1. I can't get enough of these two discs - I really can't! I'd say why don't they make music like this anymore but truth is the America that this music was made in vanished a long, long time ago. Grab your kazoo and get ready to be transported to the ancient future! This music is completely and absolutely HIGH GRADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SENOR FAHEY!



2. From the Captain Beefheart and Albert Ayler box sets, to the Doc Boggs cd release, I've been hard pressed to find a cd by Revenant that I don't love. That said, while I do have a few minor complaints, this two disc set is no exception: It features a wide range of rare and very eclectic old time American music, featuring songs that run the gamut from amusing to astounding listening experiences. Anyone with an interest in music from this era should have no reason not to like this collection, that is unless they already have most of these songs. But, as someone who fancies himself a collector of old time music (on cd, at least) I only had three or four of these songs prior to my purchase.
   Now for the complaints, minor though they may be: The elements of mystery and primitivism have been emphasized, sometimes at the expense of valid and readily available information. Though we have little info pertaining to most of these performers, some vital facts have been omitted in the interest of conceptual continuity. Even the oldest and perhaps most mysterious song present, "Poor Mourner" is described in a much more elaborate manner in the "Lost Sounds" collection, including biographical information on the "revenants" who apparently appeared to record the song and then vanished. Moreover, "Lost Sounds" even features another song by the same duo. I wouldn't be bothered otherwise, but this lack of information just makes me wonder what else is missing. My only other complaint is concerning the large gap between "Poor Mourner" (recorded in the 1890's), and the rest of the songs in this collection (picking up in the early 1920's). It would've been nice to have a more balanced sampling without such a huge gulf separating one recording from the rest.
   As mentioned earlier, these are mere quibbles when one considers just how great the tracks are, and what an invaluable collection this is to any lover of old time music.



3. Hard to describe the kick I got out of the record American Primitive Vol. 2. It's up there with Harry Smith's Anthology for sure. This predates homogenized America.
   
   The idea that there was a unique mysterious wisdom, or just misterioso, floating around on the foggy marshlands of America - well for my money it goes back to Poe, maybe Irving. But it was out and about outside of literature, in song Americana immemorial no doubt. No matter what I think: this foggy mist of an idea gained a big shot in the arm with Greil Marcus's Invisible Republic in 1997.
   
   I take it that Revenant's archive is a John Fahey archive. He was the central figure/performer at the label running up to his death. Over the years, Fahey's fantastic blues scholarship and collecting was overshadowed by his mystical and precise guitar work. A monograph on Charlie Patton was one of his greatest contributions to blues studies. This American Primitives series pay homage to the barnstorming musicians of the southern past , but also to Fahey. Fahey appears in the liner notes to American Primitive Volume 2 as writer Scott Blackwood describes meeting up with him in Chicago.
   
   
   In Chicago for a gig, a scant Fahey is staying in a hotel near where Blind Lemon Jefferson died. We know that give or take a few years Fahey, who is just returning from a long skid row slide, doesn't have long for terra firma. Blackwell couches the conversation - they stop at a Salvation Army to, like guerillas, insert some recent Fahey 78 recordings in record bins - with reference to Borges and mystery for the sake of amazement. Odd, I know I found Fahey's Blind Joe Death in a Salvation Army record bin.
   
   NuGrape transubstantiatin'
   "Revenant" it seems, means `a spirit who returns after a long absence. "Crucial to the Revenant ethos is the notion of the neglected gem." And so, American Primitive forgoes Blind Willie McTell, Memphis Jug Band, or Scrapper Blackwell, because they have been covered in previous prospecting. So on this Vol 2 we have the Salty Dog Four, Pigmeat Terry, and Two Poor Boys doing Ballin the Jack, Black Sheep Blues and Two White Horses. Alfred Lewis doing what I called BlueFrog Blues. Clarinets over imagined pie-stealing hobo soft foot shuffles. You got the hiss, the high-droning banjos, kazoos, juke joint pianos and harmonica combs moaning low, haunting violins. Did you ever hear churchbell tone?
   
   The voices are not trained. They come as messages from beyond. You sense the location of the recording could be a hotel of the `30s, or a crossroads dessert radio station ala Oh Brother.
   
   The harmonies are one-ofs. Could not be reproduced in commercial Nashville studio day without significant economic disruption.



4. For any complainers out there, or more importantly any interested listeners who are concerned about the sound quality herein, don't be.
   
   The remastering is wonderful, and if this type of music had no tape defects, hiss or background distortion, well then it would be a much different experience altogether - one you wouldn't recognize as the rugged and nocturnal sound of music coming from the era of the Great Depression.
   
   Revenant consistently gives us an honest and pure sound, and while it isn't always perfect, it is when compared to the alternative - not having these recordings to listen to at all.



5. Having just spent all accumulated psychic energy listening to this set, I'm afraid, dear reader, I cannot match my reviewer-compatriots in length of comments, in-depth-ness of analysis, or crystalline clarity of prose. But if only for reintroducing one of my favorite words (and concepts), "revenants," to the platter-chatter set, the late Fahey (et al.) deserves to be worshipped--hey, John Coltrane has HIS own church; John Fahey should get one, too! "Revenants" is THE right word for this collection--straight outta that low swampy area hard by the cemetery down that dead-end street Where None Dare Go, this stuff. In a weird (what else!) way, it's on the same level as the Philip Larkin couplet which ends his poem 'Toads Revisited': "Give me your arm, old toad; / Help me down Cemetery Road." (As well, it's quite possibly the audio equivalent of the "missing time" feature noted in alleged UFO abductions.) What I'm driving at is, this is a dead-cert MUST BUY for anyone who wants to go totally existential for a couple hours.

1 comments about Cry Your Last Tear.

1. This project was so powerful! I am one of the sopranos on this album! This is a very spirit filled and anointing cd! You really are in the presence of God! Bishop Morton, Trenton Phillips, William Murphy, and the whole entire Full Gospel Staff did a great job! Alabama is on the map!

5 comments about Christmas Peace.

1. Christmas Peace is an excellent album that everyone who likes Elvis Presley should own. It combines one CD of Christmas songs with one CD of the Gospel songs that were so close to his heart. They are not only inspirational to listen to, they also show that Elvis was a deeply Christian man who was overwhelmed by his life circumstances. Would any of us do better? You cannot sing with the conviction he does on his Gospel selections and not believe it. The songs on this album capture both the sacred season of Christmas and the sacred theme of Gospel music.



2. The CD is great! It's a must have for all Elvis fans! It contains Elvis' greatest Christmas songs and a CD that contains his inspirational songs.



3. I'll give this cd a 5 star---------BUT WHERE IS THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM ELVIS-----WHICH I REALLY WANTED TO HEAR ?????? On the Christmas cd #8 states Christmas Message from Elvis on the discription list of Songs. I received this cd and there is no suchChristmas Message !! (VERY DISAPPOINTING) !!!! On the Cd Disc #1 (Christmas) if you look at the back where the list of songs are it does not say anything about this message being on the disc----Amazon has this WRONG on their list---Because it IS NOT THERE !!! BUT I would still get this CD---It's Still GREAT because it's ELVIS !!!! I LOVE ELVIS -----So I WANT ANYTHING HE SINGS !!! So get this cd, Elvis' Singing will NEVER let you be sorry ! I could never get threw the Holiday's or any other day without this CD ! This is a great christmas CD, don't let the fact that there is no Elvis message on this stop you from odering this If you want to have Peaceful Holidays you will love this cd. There is no way I could handle Christmas without Elvis! Dina



4. Another repackaging of the 20 Christmas songs that Elvis recorded during his career. The twist on this package that makes it different from previous Christmas releases (such as "White Christmas" and "If Every Day Was Like Christmas") is the second CD containing 20 Gospel songs.
   
   Elvis' performance of the earlier Christmas songs (the ones recorded in the 50's and 60's) are outstanding! Elvis is in top form for these songs and several of them have become Christmas classics still receiving radio play 50 years after they were recorded! The Christmas songs recorded in the 70's are good but not in the same class as the earlier recordings. His performances of the Gospel songs on the second CD are excellent!
   
   If you are looking for a collection of Elvis Christmas music AND some of his mellow Gospel songs, this is the collection for you!
   
   However, if you are just wanting Elvis Christmas songs, I would recommend that you save a few bucks and buy the "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" CD, which contains all 20 Christmas songs found here plus 4 alternate versions on a single CD, making it the most comprehensive Elvis Christmas collection available. If you are just looking for some Elvis Gospel music I would recommend you buy the Elvis "Ultimate Gospel" CD.



5. Elvis has always been my favourite artist. This cd shows how wonderfully capable Elvis was at singing any style of music he chose. Great sound quality and packaging make this another winner from BMG .