I Love to Tell the Story

Andy Griffith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 2, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sparrow
• ASIN: B000005KXI
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,898 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #47 in Music > Miscellaneous > Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews > Spoken Word

Editorial Reviews

25 homespun hymns from one of America's best-loved actors (and no stranger to the recording studio-remember What It Was, Was Football ?). Includes Shall We Gather at the River; Will the Circle Be Unbroken; The Old Rugged Cross; When the Saints Go Marching In; How Great Thou Art , and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Replacement. March 13, 2000

By Otto N. Dahlke

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a chaplain at a Long Term Care Facility in Texas. For the past year I have used this tape twice a week on the Alzheimer's Unit. If these residents can do nothing else, they can still sing the hymns of their childhood. It is both amazing and inspirational to see the joy on their faces when they can recognize something from the past. I have worn out the tape and am replacing it.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great collection of hymns, sung sincerely and movingly June 19, 2000

By Suzanne Amara VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

I find myself turning to this CD more and more when I feel like hearing a good hymn sing! I love the way Griffith sings. He will remind you of your favorite male member of your church choir---not overly polished, but sining in such a heartfelt yet not falsely emotional way. You can certainly tell he grew up singing these hymns in a little country church! It's hard to find traditional hymns sung this way. I love a few of the selections especially---Will the Circle be Unbroken, which my 2 year old loves to hear and sing along to, Softly and Tenderly, which he sings so well, and How Great Thou Art, a wonderful hymn however it's sung, but his version is one of my favorite ever---especially the way he speaks the powerful last verse over the music! If you are looking for slick pop versions and highly polished singing, look elsewhere, but if you like to hear hymns sung the way you remember from your childhood, look here!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Moving and Profound January 25, 2002

By Benjamin G. Gardner

Format:Audio CD

This collection of hymns and hymn medleys is a powerful, very moving experience. Griffith's articulate, resonant voice is a superb vehicle for these golden, cherished hymns, and he shows us that the mouth can only sing what the heart has first caressed. Anything less is mere noise.

Among others, one of the most moving, inspirational selections of this CD is his rendition of "How Great Thou Art". It is sung meditatively, yet with a power that infuses the soul with reverence. Then, when the melody softens and Griffith begins to pronounce the lines of the hymn in a powerful voice, it seems that the veil of time has been lifted away, and we are witnessing the focus of all Christianity on one single theme in one powerful and reverent moment. For a few brief moments, the voice we hear is the chorus of the patriarchs, the apostles, the martyrs, and the saved at all times and everywhere resounding down through the ages - for the message it brings is timeless in its reverence and exaltation of the greatness of God.

Also of note is Griffith's excellent balance between the old and the new. Portions of a few of the medleys do come across as being infused with bluegrass/western-like guitar runs, but - on a scope uncommon for most recordings of older hymns - Griffith is consistently very faithful to the old melodies. The harmony and backup vocals are centered around the melody of the songs, not around the lead singer.

All in all, this is a CD very well worth listening to. Although it is certain to bring on fond memories, its value lies in its being conducive to reflection, introspection, and prayer. Griffith's own testimony and expressive talent further enhance its natural, ageless luster.

- Benjamin Gene Gardner