Gospel Goes Classical [ECD] - Juanita Bynum & Jonathan Butler

Advantages: classic gospel
Disadvantages: none

...I have watched these guys a few times on GOD tv( very good), and they are undoubtedly one of the best gospel groups in the UK! I have not got this album at homebut after listening to my cousins i was astounded, and just the way they present both modern and old songs sends shivers down my spine. Classic Gospel. The best thing about i however is that it is done 'live' with a full-on proper audience there, but there is also that feel to it that it is done in a studio because of the professionalsim. This adds atmosphere and good harmonies in harmony. I like the fact that they have other well known Christian music artists with them doing their own songs for example Martin Smith from Delerious and Matt Redman. This all combines to make a great album for both believers and non-believers. I LOVE IT... Read review

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Advantages: Elvis Presley singing some wonderful music
Disadvantages: The tracks have been released and re-released many times over the years

...). ULTIMATE GOSPEL is one such repackaging. There is no new material on this release, just the same old gospel songs which have been released time and again. But this is not a complaint - if this re-releasing is what keeps the music on the market, then so be it, as the music itself is wonderful. On this CD we get wonderful renditions of classics such as AMAZING GRACE, YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE, and SWING DOWN SWEET CHARIOT, along with other, lesser-known examples of Elvis' gospel music, such as HELP ME. It is a fantastic collection of music and should belong in everyone's collection. Whether or not it is worth buying this CD if you already own the tracks on one of the many other gospel released over the years is debatable, and probably only dedicated Elvis collectors would want to buy it in this case. But if you have yet to sample... Read review

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Advantages: Clever, moving, melodic, brilliant, like nothing else
Disadvantages: Loves his guitar playing a little too much, bangs on about the Earth a lot

...it all up for the sake of mining. It's also a cracker to sing along to. Another standout track is "Damned to hell", just Butler and his banjo and a damning indictment of a life of capitalist greed: "Damned to Hell is what you are / Can you hear the church bells toll / and all the money you have made / can't save your sorry soul". The mark of a classic album is that tracks in turn leap out as great, and after "Peaches", "Company sin" and "Damned" had done their work, I realised that "Bound to ramble" is also a masterpiece, with stirring strings and an epic chorus. It's all about Butler wandering the world playing his music, and regretting not being at home with his partner: " I love Butler but can see his flaws: he's slightly blokey in a prog rock kind of way, in that he does complex guitar bits just because he can - musical masturbation... Read review

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