Review: Doyle Lawson And Quicksilver – Help Is On The Way

This is Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver’’s latest gospel release on Crossroads, and is riding the high of the title track sitting atop the Singing News chart for September.  I am not more than just a casual bluegrass fan, but my dad recommended this CD to me and loaned me his copy for review, and I’m glad he did.

Tracks:

1. I Know, I Know – Uptempo traditional bluegrass number gets this recording started right.  Immediately the vocals are brought to the forefront, and I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a bluegrass recording (outside of maybe The Isaacs) that paid such attention to their vocals.  Incredibly tight, and the tenor has a pretty good range, especially for a bluegrass group.  This is actually one of the highlights of the disc.  10/10
2. Help Is On The Way – The current #1 song on the Singing News charts is this midtempo number.  And yes, this is a different song than the one recorded by Gold City on Movin’ Up.  Great lyrics and again stellar vocals highlight this track.  9.5/10
3. Eternity Has Two – This ballad presents an interesting lyric.  This life presents us with many choices, but eternity only has two.  Solid performance.  7/10
4. One Of These Days – Another nice uptempo number with soaring harmonies and a nice low bass pickup line at the end of the verses and chorus.  Some nice instrumental work here as well.  Another pick of the CD. 9.5/10
5. God Is Love – Another solid ballad from the group.  Very smooth sound on this one.  6/10
6. Land Of The Dying – Mid to uptempo tune.  I really like the lyrical play on this song.  By death we leave the land of the dying.  Nice vocals on this cut as well.  8/10
7. I Won’t Have To Worry Anymore – Great cut of this old hymn.  This song lends itself well to a bluegrass interpretation.  9/10
8. When The Hand Of God Comes Down – Uptempo tune that is sung in all two part harmony.  The vocals are fine and the playing is great, but this song doesn’t stack up to the more full vocal arrangements on this disc.  6/10
9. The Black Sheep Returned To The Fold – A nice play on the story of the lost sheep.  Another solid vocal and instrumental performance.  7.5/10
10. I’m The Clay In Your Hands – A nice acappella introduction starts this song off.  A nice song that should be one thing we strive for daily in our lives.  Solid performance.  7.5/10
11. Press On O Pilgrim, There Is Joy Ahead – Uptempo cut that is very strong.  Some nice counterpoint on the chorus really highlight this song, as do the instrumental breaks.  8.5/10
12. What Shall I Do With Jesus – Midtempo number that turns the title around by the end of the chorus.  Very smooth vocal performance on this tune.  7/10
13. He Made It All Right – Convention style acappella tune written by Luther G. Presley that is performed expertly by the group.  These guys can really sing.  9/10
14. Keep Your Eyes On Jesus – Midtempo tune to close out the song.  This song features a recitation by Doyle Lawson.  Another soaring arrangement on the chorus.  I’m not blown away by the recitation in the song, but it’s OK.  There’s a nice acappella break after the recitation and a really nice bass note on the end of the tag.  Solid song, but I think one of the uptempo songs would have been better to close out the disc.  8/10

Overall: 8/10 The first thing that strikes you when listening to this CD is the attention paid to the vocals.  Even the previous DL&Q CD that I own, There’s A LIght Guiding Me, while very good, doesn’t have the strength of arrangement and vocal performance found here.  Dad described this CD as “Southern Gospel style vocals set to Bluegrass music” and I think this is a very accurate description of the project.  You’ll be hard pressed to find another bluegrass album with vocals this strong.  I haven’t said much about the playing on this CD, but rest assured, it is top notch.  These guys are really riding high on both the gospel and bluegrass circuits right now, and with albums this strong, it isn’t hard to figure out why.  I’m not a big bluegrass fan, though I don’t mind it occasionally, but this is a very good disc.