Top 5: Greater Vision on Greater Vision

I’m starting a new series of posts that are called Top 5 Artist on Artist.  These posts come from me polling current and/or former members of iconic groups and asking them the best 5 albums ever released by said group.  Up first is Greater Vision.  All three of the current members responded to my request (thanks guys!), so without further ado, here are the top 5 Greater Vision albums as seen by the members of Greater Vision:

5		Live At First Baptist Atlanta (2002)
4		Everything Christmas (2010)
3		Quartets (2003)
2		Take Him At His Word (1995)
1		Hymns Of The Ages (2006)

I find a couple of things interesting. First of all, the similarity in all three responses is incredible. Out of a possible 15 slots for albums to be named, there were only 9 (and Gerald’s list had 6, as he had a tie for 5th).  It really shows the unity and similarity in the way these three gentlemen think.  Also, Gerald nailed the top 5. In order.

So what do you readers think? You’ve seen what the guys of Greater Vision think, do you agree?

Greater Vision Releases Digital Downloads

In their latest newsletter, Greater Vision has announced that they’ve made their out of print albums available for download in a new digital store.  You can access the store here.  Albums are $9.90-$11.99, single songs are $0.99, which is pretty typical for digital downloads.  It’s good to see these albums made available, and it’s a good way to complete your GV discography.  Here’s hoping that other groups follow suit.

NQC Coverage, and Day 1 Summary

Once again, the NQC train is passing me by.  However, I was able to catch a couple of hours of the broadcast via enLighten.  Those of you who follow the blog on Twitter will notice I was doing some tweeting as I was listening.  I will attempt to continue to do so the rest of the week, though most likely not Wednesday or Thursday (church and my son’s soccer practice, respectively).  If you’d like to follow along, you can get to the blog’s Twitter page here.

Of the limited sets I heard last night, the highlight was definitely the Perrys, and specifically Tracy Stuffle singing “Plan Of Salvation.”  What a touching tribute to Tracy’s hero, George Younce, and Tracy more than held his own singing George’s bass lead.  I’m glad I was able to hear it.

The next best set I heard was the New Gospel Singing Caravan.  You can really tell those groups are having fun on stage doing their set, and they were joined in a surprise appearance by the Nelons.  My wife made the statement while we were listening to their set that the Caravan CD was probably her favorite of the CDs I’ve forced her to listen to while I was reviewing them. 

Greater Vision had some sound issues, at least over the radio feed, but once they got them done they turned in a very credible set, with one outstanding performance: Chris Allman singing “I Know A Man Who Can.”  Chris has made that song his own and he absolutely nails it.

Highlights that I didn’t hear personally, but have noticed on Twitter include Karen Peck and New River singing “On The Banks Of The Promised Land” and Karen’s version of “The Star Spangled Banner”, Gold City’s set overall and debuting a new song “Peter, James, and John”, and the sets of the Collingsworth Family (again, they were the major buzzworthy artist last year as well) and Brian Free and Assurance.

That’s about it for day 1.  Follow along on Twitter tonight, I’ll do my best to post some more comments.

Review: Greater Vision – The Only Way

While not the first Daywind CD from Greater Vision since Chris Allman rejoined, this is the much anticipated first album of (mainly) new material of the Allman era, part 2.

Tracks:

1. He Didn’t When He Could Have Passed By – Written by Rodney Griffin, the album kicks off with this uptempo number that has a bit of a Cajun feel to it.  The group sings the first verse and chorus together, then Gerald Wolfe takes the second verse as a solo.  After another chorus, the key changes and Chris Allman takes the lead.  Allman keeps the melody through the next chorus which lends for some really low harmony on the first half of the chorus.  After taking the key up another half step, Rodney takes the melody for the first half of the chorus which is a better overall sound.  There’s a moderately high tag to end the song.  It’s a very upbeat song and a great opener.  9.5/10
2. Safe Within His Arms – One of the advantages of Chris Allman rejoining the group is found with this song.  It’s a slower, midtempo tune penned by Allman.  Having another songwriter in the group will pay (and already is paying) dividends in that it will keep their projects from falling into too much of a rut, as has been mildly criticized about Greater Vision in recent years.  Allman keeps the melody all through the song, and there is just something special about hearing a songwriter perform a song that he or she has written.  There is a genuineness and a care paid to the delivery that someone who didn’t write the song can’t hope to convey.  This is one of the stronger songs on the CD.  9.5/10
3. No Longer Chained – This song, written by Rodney Griffin, pulls a major fakeout on the listener.  The intro to the song will make you expect a big ballad with huge orchestrations, then the last line of the intro reverts to a mid to uptempo light tempo.  DBM correctly pointed out in his review that the chorus of this song is nearly identical to “He’s Still Waiting By The Well”, but where that song was an in your face barn burner, this one is given a much more mellow treatment, even if the rhythm and tempo are similar.  The song tells a story of a Roman soldier that is assigned to the apostle Paul in his later years, and serves as a metaphor that sharing our testimony can cause others to be freed in Christ.  It’s a solid song.  8.5/10
4. I Know A Man Who Can – Wow.  All I will say is Jack Campbell and Jimmie Davis’ classic is absolutely lit on fire and scorched by Chris Allman.  Nothing else I say will aptly describe this.  Can I give it a 15? 10/10
5. He’s The Only Way – This is an uptempo number penned by both Griffin and Allman.  On an album where uptempo songs are a bit scarce, this is a good one.  Lyrically it pulls no punches, plainly stating that Christ is “the only way to life everlasting.”  In a world of so-called “tolerance, acceptance, and open-mindedness” the song serves as a much needed dose of truth.  It starts with two iterations of the chorus before the group takes the first verse together.  The second verse is done by Rodney Griffin.  After the subsequent chorus, the key changes and Chris Allman takes the third verse before surrendering the melody back to Griffin on the chorus.  A little interlude with each member taking solo lines a la “My Name Is Lazarus” precedes a key change and Allman taking the melody.  This is really good song and would make a good single for radio.  9/10
6. Like I Wish I’d Lived – Penned by Rodney Griffin, this is the first single from the project.  Like others have said, the choice puzzles me a bit.  The song itself is fine, it’s a ballad that is sung by Chris Allman that calls the listener to live a holy life, or a life “like I wish I’d lived in the past.”  It’s a good message, and a good performance by Allman, but it seems really subdued for a radio song.  Still, a good song with a great message.  8/10
7. But God – Rodney Griffin and Twila LaBar wrote this song that was originally recorded by Legacy 5.  Gerald Wolfe takes the lead on this song and turns in a typically solid, workmanlike performance.  Wolfe is one of the most consistent performers in SG, you know exactly what you will get from him, and you know it will be good.  This is another ballad that features good solos on the verses from Wolfe and some nice smooth harmony from the group on the chorus.  Though Wolfe tends to take the baritone part more often these days, Greater Vision still sounds REALLY good with Gerald on the lead and Rodney on baritone.  Another solid song.  8/10
8. We Still Have To Pray – This Rodney Griffin ballad comes with an interesting message, but a good one.  Even when we are staying in a close walk with God, we still have to pray and keep that close communication open.  Prayer isn’t just needed in the hard times, but when things are going well too.  Griffin gives a tender and poignant vocal on a really strong set of lyrics.  There’s not anything flashy here, no high ending, no “fancy” harmonies, just good singing that puts the focus squarely on the lyrics of this song.  8.5/10
9. Eternity’s About To Begin – Chris Allman wrote this song that picks the pace back up a bit after the previous three ballads.  This one has a bit of a black gospel feel to it.  Rodney Griffin takes the melody after Allman gets things started.  This is a really catchy tune that would probably do very well as a single.  9/10
10. Heaven Can’t Be Far Away – This Steve Hurst penned tune was done previously by the group and is revived here.  Gerald Wolfe reprises his lead vocal from the original.  It’s a solid cover, but not quite up to the original.  8.5/10
11. Another Child’s Coming Home – The disc ends with this ballad from Chris Allman.  It’s a take on story of the prodigal that Allman sings very tenderly.  Like Wolfe, Allman is a great communicator of a message in song, and he shows that ability on this song.  Like “We Still Have To Pray”, there’s not a whole lot of flash or pizzazz to this arrangement, but it’s a good lyric that is presented very well by Allman and the group.  8.5/10

Overall:  9  Since Chris Allman returned to Greater Vision, fans have been waiting for their new “mainline” style project to see what kind of an influence Chris would have in their future direction.  That has been settled with this project.  The group has been given a breath of fresh air, and Gerald Wolfe produced a tremendous album.  Wolfe is one of our most recognizable voices, and carries his part with an air of precision and excellence.  Rodney Griffin gets a lot of attention for his songwriting, and deservedly so, but Griffin has developed into quite an effective vocalist in his own right, and as the years have gone by, he’s taken more and more of the higher lead notes while Wolfe has deferred to the baritone part.  Rodney is a solid singer as well as one of our top songwriters.  As I have said previously, Chris Allman stepped out of a time machine set on about 1995.  He has seemingly lost none of his range, and if anything his voice has matured and improved over the last 15 years or so.  He really brings a fresh energy to the group, almost as much for his songwriting contributions as his vocals.  I do wish there had been more uptempo songs included, as the project seems to drag some after “The Only Way”, but that’s a minor complaint.  Greater Vision fans, and SG fans in general, do not want to miss out on this project.  It’s a great effort that will provide a lot of listening enjoyment and some timely messages.

The Original Greater Vision Revisited

A couple of videos have surfaced of rehearsals by the original lineup of Greater Vision for the reunion concert that was recently held.  (h/t, DJM)  I can’t stop watching the clip of “Sailing Away”, it’s just that good.  I love Pat Barker’s reaction in the background when Gerald, Mark, and Chris just effortlessly nail the cascading harmonies to the inversion on the second chorus.  These videos reinforce my belief that the combination of Chris Allman, Mark Trammell, and Gerald Wolfe was the greatest male trio SG has ever seen.  Wow.  The scary thing is they sound just as good, if not better, as they did 20 years ago.

Sailing Away

Jesus Is Here

Greater Vision Re-Releasing “You Can Have A Song”

Greater Vision has announced in their latest e-newsletter that they will be re-releasing their You Can Have A Song project on CD.  This was one of the first two albums the group recorded with Chris Allman, Gerald Wolfe, and Mark Trammell.  Previously this project was only available on cassette.  They also state that this will be a limited edition release of signed and numbered CDs.  Details are promised to be forthcoming.  Keep a watch out!

Singing News Curse 2010

One of the common jokes about SG is that we have our own version of the NFL’s “Madden Curse”, the “Singing News Curse.”  With just one cover left for the year, let’s review the status of the curse for the year, shall we?

• January: Dixie Echoes (Pat Barker departs)
• February: Crist Family (no changes)
• March: Brian Free & Assurance (Randy Crawford departs)
• April: Greater Vision (Jacob Kitson departs)
• May: Hoppers (no changes)
• June: McKameys (no changes)
• July: Mark Trammell Quartet (no changes)
• August: Gold City (Roy Webb, Josh Cobb depart)
• September: Blackwood Brothers (no changes)
• October: Kingdom Heirs (Billy Hodges departs)
• November: Booth Brothers (no changes)
• December: ????

Unless my math skills have dulled over the years, that’s 5 out of 11.  It’s interesting to note of the groups that haven’t had changes, 3 are primarily family based groups, which tend to experience less turnover by nature, and one has been in existence less than a year (Mark Trammell Quartet).  That leaves us with two established non-family groups that have been stable since their cover appearance, and 5 that have experienced changes.  I’d say the curse is still alive and well!

NOTE:  This post is solely intended to be read in a good-natured, tongue-in-cheek manner.  If you have not read it as such, please check the batteries in your sarcasm meter. 

NQC ’10: Thursday Recap

There’s quite a bit more to talk about today.  So, continuing our bullet point format, here we go:

• First, Sarah Palin.  Several artists tweeted that they were given the opportunity to meet her and have their pictures taken together before Palin made her keynote speech.  Her speech itself seems to have been well received, even if the only artists she mentioned were the Nelons and Amy Grant (?).  By most accounts, she came across as having a very genuine faith.
• The Ball Brothers made their debut mainstage appearance to mainly positive reviews.  Good to see them get the exposure they deserve.  I really think these guys have quite a future ahead of them as pacesetters in SG.
• The reviews have been mixed on the “cheesiness” of the song, but either way the Booth Brothers and Sisters collaboration called “Brothers and Sisters” was very much notable, and nothing but positive about the performance of the groups.
• Several commentators have noticed that song selections on the whole last night just seemed to be disjointed.  Not that the songs were bad in and of themselves, but the sets just didn’t seem to flow very well.
• Chris Allman continues to impress with his tenor vocals for Greater Vision.  To start their set, a YouTube clip was played of them singing “Too Near Home” from 1995, and at the conclusion of the clip, Stan Whitmire kicked in the piano intro and away they went with the full song.  Allman truly seems to have stepped out of a time machine vocally.
• The Perrys sang a couple of new tunes from their Blue Skies CD, the title track and “His Love Lights the Way”.  Tracy Stuffle again joined them for two songs, and it’s good to hear that his health is holding up so well during such a stressful week.
• The Greenes, and specifically TaRanda Greene, also had a quite impressive and notable set based on several accounts.  TaRanda continues to cement her place as an elite vocalist in SG.
• Buzz of the Night Award:  The Collingsworth Family.  Again.  The Collingsworths have really seemed to be the buzz of the convention, and their set last night was apparently no less impressive, especially their acappella rendition of the classic hymn “Take Time To Be Holy.”  This group may just come out of the convention with the biggest jump in esteem and popularity, as people have been gushing over their performances this week.

Concert Review: An Evening To Remember

Last Friday night, my wife and I attended one of the Cathedrals Tribute series concerts, that are promoted as “An Evening To Remember.”  Quite so.  The concert was held at a fairly large church in Olive Branch, MS.  The balcony area was empty, but the main floor of the sanctuary was pretty much full.  My guess would be 400 or so in attendance.  We were a bit surprised that there weren’t more people, as I said, no one was in the balcony area at all.  There was no opening group (thankfully), and the concert lasted for nearly four hours.

First on stage was Danny Funderburk.  I’ve had to guess at a couple of these song titles, but the guess does at least make sense, and here is his set list:

• The Offer Still Stands
• He Set Me Free
• Rise Up And Walk
• Everybody Praise the Lord
• You’re Still God
• Statue Of Liberty

Danny may not have the range that he used to have, but his voice is still strong and pure.  Most of his solo stuff is pitched more in a lead or baritone range, so much so that Christy leaned over and said “I thought he was a tenor singer??” at one point.  That was a bit of a shock to us, as I’d not really heard much from Danny since his Perfect Heart days, save a couple of Silent Power cuts and a Royals cut here and there.  However, Danny still has that ability to connect with his audience, and still can convey his message in song like few others.  He used a video presentation with “Statue of Liberty” that was very well done, and added a lot to the impact of the song.  Danny has had a lot of major health issues over the past 4 years or so, and it’s nothing short of a miracle that he is still standing on stage and performing at a high level.  It was good to see and hear him again.

Next came the Mark Trammell Quartet, whom I was looking very much forward to seeing.  I’d not seen Mark since his Gold City days.  Here is their set list:

• Gentle Shepherd
• Hallelujah I’m Going Home
• How Big Is God
• Leave Your Sorrows And Come Along
• Loving The Lamb
• I’ll Have A New Life/Everybody Will Be Happy Over There

MTQ hit the stage with Dustin Sweatman at the piano and Mark playing bass.  “Gentle Shepherd” was incredibly smooth.  Pat Barker has really made a name for himself with “How Big Is God”, and could soon be likened to Ernie Haase and “Oh What A Savior” in that he has taken an “oldie” and turned it into a signature song all of his own.  He really does an outstanding job on it, and has a tremendously expressive bass solo voice.  After that song, Dustin got up from the piano for the next two.  “Loving The Lamb” is absolutely huge.  Great lyrics, great arrangement, great performance.  Barker’s bass foundation really completes the song, and Mark absolutely sings the fire out of it.  Easily one of the highlights of the night, but so was the next song.  Mark said “I’ve got 3 minutes left and I don’t know what to do with myself…”, and at this point Legacy 5 had made their way to the stage and were sitting down in some chairs off to the side.  Mark said he’d had a request for an old Cathedrals tune, left the mic for a minute and spoke with Dustin and Pat, then Dustin started into the Cathedrals’ classic medley of “I’ll Have A New Life/Everybody Will Be Happy Over There.”  The crowd ate it up, so they encored it and Legacy 5 joined in on the encore.  It was a great moment.

Obviously Legacy 5 hit the stage next.  After some humorous banter between Mark and Scott, L5 got their set going.  Here is the set list for them:

• Strike Up The Band
• I’ve Been Changed
• Wonderful Grace Of Jesus (piano solo)
• I Stand Redeemed
• Life Will Be Sweeter Someday
• Great Is Thy Faithfulness

“Strike Up The Band” is a great, high-energy song for Legacy 5 to hit the stage running, so to speak.  Glenn Dustin’s performance of “I’ve Been Changed” is fantastic, and Tim Parton is a true piano guru.  Gus does well with the reinvented version of “I Stand Redeemed”, and it’s a great feature for his full-voiced tenor style.  He has really fit in well with Legacy 5, and has taken them to another level.  “Life Will Be Sweeter” is another Cathedrals tune that popped up before the actual “tribute” started, and they do well with it.  “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a typical Goss epic ballad, and was another one of the night’s highlights.  I came away incredibly impressed by Legacy 5, their sound with Gaches has really gelled.

Sitting in the headliner slot was Greater Vision.  I was very excited to get to hear them so soon into Allman’s return tenure with the group.  Their set list included only one “recent” GV song, the rest have been around for quite a while:

• I Could Never Praise Him Enough
• He’d Still Been God
• Tell Me The Story Of Jesus/I Love To Tell The Story
• You Better Hurry Up
• Hallelujah Square
• My Name Is Lazarus
• It Pays To Pray

I hadn’t heard Greater Vision in concert since the mid-late 90s at the beginning of the Waldroup era.  Chris Allman has either been stuck in a time warp, or had his voice cryogenically preserved.  He sounded amazing, like he just stepped out of 1994.  My earlier comments about Pat Barker and “How Big Is God” could easily be repeated here for Allman and “Hallelujah Square.”  One advantage to a previous member returning to a group is that it does not take long for the sound to gel, and that is the case here.  They’ve just kept going without missing a beat, and are vocally top notch.  I also really liked the pacing of their set, it was pretty much high energy from the get-go.

After an intermission, Gerald, Scott, Mark, Danny, and Glenn performed their tribute to the Cathedrals and shared some stories along with the singing.  Here is the set list:

• Plan Of Salvation
• Master Builder
• There’s Something About That Name
• I Will Serve Thee
• Somebody Touched Me
• Movin’ Up To Gloryland
• Heavenly Parade
• Boundless Love
• Wonderful Grace Of Jesus
• Daystar
• Champion Of Love

“Plan Of Salvation” was pretty predictable to start out this portion of the concert, but the predictability in no way compromises the effectiveness.  Gerald played for Danny, Scott, Mark, and Glenn, and those four have a really nice blend.  Glenn Dustin deserves some praise here.  His performance was very reminiscent of George Younce, without being an obvious imitation of George.  His approach to the song was similar to George’s, without mimicking Younce’s vocal stylings.  In George’s absence, no one could do a finer job on the song than Glenn Dustin.  “Master Builder” was as great and exciting as ever, and the next two songs “Something About That Name” and “I Will Serve Thee” featured some really smooth harmonies.  Danny gave a great performance on “Somebody Touched Me.”  I mentioned that he’d lost some range over the years, but listening to this song took you back 20 years or so.  “Movin’” provided some nice comedic fodder.  First, Pat Barker had written out the words for Glenn Dustin, and had purposefully mixed the lyrics up.  At one point, Gerald took over singing bass for Glenn with Tim Parton moving to the piano, and in “retaliation”, Glenn started pulling the slack out of Gerald’s mic cord, with the unexpected result of nearly changing Gerald from a bass to a soprano!  Gerald quipped as he avoided the cord, “You about made me jump 2 octaves!”  After the laughter subsided from ALL parties, Gerald stayed on bass vocals for an acappella rendition of “Heavenly Parade.”

Dianne Wilkinson was in attendance that night, and so the guys paid tribute to her by singing her monster hit, “Boundless Love”, and again, you’d have thought you were listening to the Travelin’ Live album.  “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” was delightfully disastrous, then Gerald, Mark, and Danny provided another concert highlight with an incredible performance of “Daystar.”  “Champion Of Love” concluded the night with everyone on stage for the finale.

This was one of the most enjoyable concerts that I’ve ever attended.  Gus Gaches told me afterwards that a lot of what went on during the Cathedrals tribute was spontaneous and unplanned, but that was what they all enjoyed about these concerts.  The artists are truly having as much fun with it as the audience is in listening.  If you get a chance to attend one of these, do not miss it!  You’ll laugh, cry, and have the time of your life!  Thanks guys for a wonderful evening!

An Evening To Remember Concert

My wife just ordered my Father’s Day present: tickets to the Evening To Remember concert in Olive Branch, MS on June 18.  This is one of the series that pays tribute to the Cathedrals with Legacy 5, Greater Vision, the Mark Trammell Quartet, and Danny Funderburk.  Any readers been to one of these concerts?  I’m assuming that the first half features the individual artists, and the second half is the Cathedrals tribute, would that be correct?  How long do these normally last?  I’ll be tweeting, taking pictures, and doing a full concert review, so be watching for it!