Customer Reviews

Music From My Heart

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

 

 

This 2001 album demonstrates that Billy Preston still has soul! I go back to his contributions to the disintegrating Beatles, and his early A & M albums -- and find on this pure gospel project pretty much the same Billy, even if a little less synthesizer-driven (and with a lot less hair than the days of his very large Afro!).

He doesn't ever really let loose like the days of "Nothin' from Nothin'" and "Will it Go Round in Circles?" But the music is solid and, after a listen or two, surprisingly catchy. Frankly, I've been playing this CD nonstop in my car for more than a week now. There are just some great hooks on this album.

With the first reviewer, I also would love to see some of Billy's 70s material re-issued whole on CD, rather than these various "best of" offerings. "Music is My Life," for example, is just a great album all the way through, and had a couple of fabulous gospel songs (including the title song) that just don't show up on hits collections.

Also...if anyone out there knows anything about any way I might get my hands on Billy's late 70s gospel album on Word/Myrrh ("contemporary Christian" label), I'm all ears. That was a tremendous album that I lost track of somewhere along the way.

Billy Preston truly is a shining star. Give him a listen.

It's probably not widely known that Billy Preston used to play with Andrae Crouch many moons ago and in this release you see many 'old school' nods both lyrically and musically to that genre of gospel music. Of course Billy's keyboard work is exceptional, especially the organ work, (check out his stellar work on the latest Ray Charles album).Every track has great feel and groove to it with the inclusion of Blessed Assurance, taking us right back up in the Church house. Vocally, Billy's voice has aged well but the timbre and depth is still there(try comparing it with his performance on 'With You I'm Born Again'). The lyrics may be standard gospel fodda but sung through the depth of life experience takes this project to another level. This is a rare find...pick up this Cd when and wherever you can!

It's great to hear Billy Preston again. I'm still waiting for his classic albums to become available on CD. The music is this new CD is really good. He still knows how to play that organ. The vocals are a little slurred at times which slightly take away from the over all effect. Still a good effort after being away for so long. PS Get those other alblums converted to CD's for us.

I can remember as a child growing up in a small city Pacoima, California and attending a live radio broadcast at Christ Memorial C.O.G.I.C. and a young man sat at the organ and literally opened my eyes to the beauty of the Hammond B3 organ as he artisticly shared his rendition of HOW GREAT THOU ART and along with his abundance of skill accompanied with an overwhelming anointing turned this small church upside down ! So it is no surprise nor is it any less exciting to hear this anointed genius years later still able to usher a Spirit of total praise and gratification into the very being of any individual who is graced with the sheer presence of MAESTRO BILLY PRESTON, whether live or through various recorrdings,doing what he did best...gospel music ! MUSIC FROM MY HEART is one of his most diversive recordings with a little sumpin' sumpin' for each and every individual whether you are into gospel music or not ! I have only two words for it...anointed genius ! MUSIC FROM MY HEART is definitely a super five star heart piercing ear piece ! MAY THE MAESTRO HIMSELF, REST IN PEACE ! ! !

In my book, this cd is not only Billy Preston's best cd ever, it is one of the best cd's ever recorded by ANY artist! Personally, after hearing this cd, I realize that I have no further need of any other cd's. This one here, is now the only cd I need! That's right. It has everything I need to satisfiy my daily musical and lyrical needs.

Billy's vocals on this 2001 cd release are better than ever. The same is true of his incredible piano, organ and keyboard work! And the songs Billy wrote for this cd and how these songs are arranged and performed is nothing short of BRILLIANT!

After spending much of the 90's being in trouble with the law, being investigated for this and that, spending time in prison and having a major struggle with drugs, Billy emerged a new man by the year 2000. Yes he had health problems, but the greater issues of learning that The Lord had stuck by him through thick and thin and had delivered him out of many bad situatiions, Billy indeed writes, sings and plays on this cd from his heart. There is no mistaking that!

This cd, "Music From MY Heart" is exactly that. And there are subtle things that are happening in the music and vocally, that upon each listen you hear something new and amazing! But mention Billy Preston's name, and people think, "Oh yeah.. he's the guy who played that electric piano solo on The Beatles song, "Get Back"! Well guess what. For those of you who were not around back when the single "Get Back" was released, originally "Get Back" was the name of a DOUBLE ALBUM that was about to be released by The Beatles. One of those albums was to be devoted to the rock and roll jam sessions The Beatles were enjoying with Billy Preston during that period, January 1969. I confirmed this with Billy Preston myself when I met him in Philadelphia in 1989.

According to Beatles' producer, George Martin, John Lennon and George Harrison simply made off with the tapes that would have become the "Get Back" album and they got these tapes into the hands of producer Phil Spector and asked him to go through the tapes and make a "better" single album from the tapes than what had originally been proposed. Apparently, Allen Klien, who had become Lennon and Harison's new manager put a stop to the release of The "Get Back" double album.

In the end all of Billy's jam sessions with the Beatles were left on the cutting room floor, with much of his organ/piano work butchered or drowned out by other new instruments added by producer Phil Spector, who then renamed the new single album "Let It Be". I personally asked Billy what he thought about the final release, the "Let It Be" album, and he smiled at me, shook his head "No" in disgust, and raised two fists and gave the album TWO THUMBS DOWN! He hated it. And yet, that album is all we have left of some great sessions of Billy with The Beatles. Don't believe all of these articles that place Billy Preston on The Beatles "White Album" and on "Abbey Road". That's all PR hogwash. The Beatles had Billy for about 10 days in January 1969 and that was it. Let's keep it real, folks.

My point is, Billy is mostly remembered for those "Let It Be" sessions, where most of what he played was actually shelved! You want to hear Billy at his very best? THIS is the CD to hear. THESE are the sessions you need to hear. This CD is Billy's masterpiece. I saw Billy in concert three times and I love his big hits too as well as his stage persona. But on this cd, Billy takes the listener on a tour of his very heart and soul, and let me tell you, it's as welcoming there as being in Abraham's bossom, which thank God, is the welcome Billy received in eternity.