Customer Reviews

Bluegrass From Heaven: The Essential Gospel Collection

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To me, gospel music should be simple and heartfelt. This CD has certainly accomplished that! I couldn't wait to play it on my computer; now it travels with me in my van. These songs take me back to a simpler time when the message didn't get masked by the music. The sincerity of the artists comes through their voices and their fingers in such a way that I really get lifted by their talents. For any Christian and/or bluegrass lover, this album is a must! I would love to find more like this one ... I keep huntin'...

This CD contains many classic tunes from some of the best in the business. If you are curious about "Mountain Gospel" this makes a great starting point to explore the genre. It is also a great "centering" tool to use when the traffic is heavy and road-rage is imminent. I also play it in the car on my way to church committee meetings to help put me on the right path. Often good Christians lose track of where they are headed when the discussion gets heated. Sometimes I wish I could stop everyone and fire up Mack Wiseman singing "Dust on the Bible" or Betty J. Robinson with "Tramp on the Street". These songs speak to me from the faith of people living in a much tougher world than I do. They are also just plain pretty music from some of the best bluegrass and old-time country performers in the country.

This sounds more like a "country gospel quartet" collection. For a much better bluegrass collection, try Rounder's "25 Years of Bluegrass." Much better gospel bluegrass CD's are Ricky Skaggs' "Soldier of the Cross" and The Isaacs' "Increase My Faith" or "Pieces of Our Past."

There was a time when gospel music was a staple of both country and bluegrass music. Live concerts would feature at least one set devoted entirely to gospel music. This 65-minute disk features twenty-four tracks from the CMH stable of artists. Several of these songs were written by the artist like Merle Travis' "I Am a Pilgrim," Don Reno's "I'm Using My Bible for a Roadmap" and "The Lord's Last Supper," and Eddie Adcock's "Living Waters." [For years, Adcock was the banjo player for the Country Gentlemen. Here he performs with his wife Martha.] Most of the songs are covered by artists who did not make the songs famous, but yet still offer a heart-felt performance like Carl Story's rendition of Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light" and Jim and Jesse McReynolds' version of "Great Speckled Bird," a song more closely identified with Roy Acuff. All told, this is a solid collection of bluegrass gospel played and sung with conviction. Hallelujah! RECOMMENDED

This is an enjoyable listen, but "essential" seems a bit much, given that it lacks some of the greatest bluegrass gospel musicians, folks like the Country Gentlemen, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Stanley Bros, Bill Monroe, and Ricky Skaggs (esp. his earlier albums). Buy it, enjoy it, but move beyond the "essential" if you want the best.

For a much better bluegrass collection, try Rounder's 25 Years of Bluegrass. Much better gospel bluegrass CD's are Ricky Skaggs' Soldier of the Cross and The Isaacs' Increase My Faith or Pieces of Our Past.