Customer Reviews

Old Rugged Cross

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you enjoy Spiritual Songs that make you feel good without preaching, this is for you. Two
spectacular vocalists backed up by a flawless orchestra sing
vocal harmonies as no other male/female combination I've ever heard. Like the Everly Brothers, they also blend like they've been singing together all their lives. The album opens with perhaps their most famous duet, 'Whispering Hope' which was a hit
for them and simply beautiful music. 'Abide With Me' follows and
has a beautiful sadness to it. Next, 'In The Garden' continues to express the joys of believing in a life hereafter. So many other great versions of classic Gospel songs, 'Beyond The Sunset, 'Beautifull Isle of Somewhere', the somber yet beautiful
'Now the Day is Over',abound. This album contains all the Spititual songs they recorded together. I have about another ten songs they recorded, most of which are of the same high standard as these tracks. I'd love to hear all the songs they recorded. This CD is recommended for anyone who loves great vocal harmonizing, cause these two fine vocalists do it as good as anyone I know.

I LOVE THIS CD IT IS SO WONDERFUL, GORDON MACRAE AND JO STAFFORD SING SO WELL TOGETHER IT MADE ME CRY. IT IS SO SPIRITUAL A MUST BUY.

Wonderful harmony - full orchestra background with nice touches of piano. Their voices blend perfectly and they just SING the songs, so you can tell what they are saying, and can sing along.

One of the most beautiful, most haunting collections of hymns ever produced. Stafford and MacRae make beautiful music to make your heart soar and your spirit inspired! This is a CD collection worth owning.....it is absolutely perfect!!!! Every cut is brilliant! Fine production values and worth every cent!

For those of us who find ourselves in the extinct category it is particularly heartwarming to encounter in these modern times the hymns of yesteryear performed by our favourite stars. I still have the LP with these beautiful songs. The mood it creates is the essence of nostalgia. For those who would enjoy the quiet calm of earlier times this is a very good cd.It is even more exciting to hear these duets when that type of singing was so very popular. I have hundreds of cds many of which are religious and I say without controversy that there is none like this cd. It is in a class of its own.

I wish all who listen to be as thrilled as Iam and always will be by this cd.

Clifton Warner

I have been wondering if Amazon would have a CD of Jo Stafford. I loved her as a little girl and I am enjoying her more and more each day. I enjoyed these religious pieces and I do enjoy listening to them in my car. I would highly recommend this CD.

...that's what you'll get with this CD and so many of your favorite hymns.

I purchased "The Old Rugged Cross" cd because I enjoy another cd on which Gordon MacRae sings inspirational music ("Songs of Praise"). The music selections on this cd are breathtaking!! On "The Old Rugged Cross" cd, he sings harmony with Jo Stafford, an alto with a lovely clear and steady voice, allowing him to harmonize below her melody note (in the bass range) as easily as he sings harmony above her (in high tenor or falsetto range)! Miraculous, because he often does it all within the same song and it is incredibly difficult to move effortlessly back and forth across three octaves while singing harmony. Jo and Gordon blend beautifully and their harmony is very complex. They often sing their notes very close together, his harmony note right next to the melody. It is so smooth, it sounds like velvet to your ears!! The orchestra in the background compliments the singing wonderfully! The songs are inspiring, uplifting and restful, and absolutely beautiful. I love it and wholly recommend this beautiful collection of hymns for anyone who wants an "awesome" experience.

I never knew Jo Stafford. Gordon, however, was an old and dear friend, and certainly among the purest vocalists of the century. I was a music and theatre critic for many years before retirement, and can say without reservation that this musical collection ranks with the loveliest in my memory. I recommend it to any folks who loved the beauty and passion of the kind of music that once flooded the airways. Consider merely a taste of lyrics as they once were. You may recall:

"You are the promised kiss of springtime that makes the lonely winter seem long. You are the breathless hush of evening that trembles on the brink of a lovely song."

Oh, what a troubled world has lost in the ensuing years!

Dr. Ron Pataky

Retired in Ohio

Two magnificent singers backed by top orchestral support makes for the kind of music that some people would regard as ideal Sunday listening. Actually, I decided to review this album on a Thursday, but it sounds good at any time to my ears.

The songs here will be familiar to anybody who even listens to a little gospel music , including Whispering hope, Abide with me, In the garden, It is no secret, Rock of ages, All through the night, You'll never walk alone, The Lord is my shepherd and Peace in the valley. Some of these songs have achieved fame far beyond their gospel roots, notably You'll never walk alone, which has become a sporting anthem. The version here is outstanding. The title track has long been one of my favorite gospel songs, but I don't come across it on this type of album as often as I would like to, which makes it all the more welcome here.

I don't have a huge gospel music collection, but do enjoy listening to the music and this album is among the best of its kind. There are no liner notes, just a track listing with credits, but on this budget release, they don't matter.