Playing Games

Raymond & Co, Raymond & Co. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 27, 2004)
• Original Release Date: January 27, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Integrity Music
• ASIN: B0001KCHXM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #539,443 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Since I Found You

2. Playing Games

3. No Limits

4. Fire

5. Representin'

6. Crazy Faith

7. He Can Do It

8. I Know You'll Remember

9. Changed

10. We Wait

11. Everything

12. Give Him All Da Praise

13. Miracles

14. Come Follow Me

15. God Says No

16. Song In The Midnight

17. Whadda Ya Know Of Jesus

18. No Not One

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Playing Games is the Bomb!, April 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Playing Games (Audio CD)

Raymond & Co present 'Playing Games' on the Integrity Gospel label

Raymond & Co are an awesome new phenomenon in Urban Contemporary Gospel music.
Based in London, England YES ENGLAND! and armed with songs so funky you wonder how? they're sure to wow the hardest anti-gospel fan. The group have made the balance complete with urban beats, raging vocals AND uncompromising lyrics making their debut album 'Playing Games' a must have CD!

Raymond & Co has five members, the founder Isaiah-Raymond Dyer, Lisa Allen, Janine Dyer, Christopher Gordon and Gillian Nembhard. Each singer has vocal ability fitting for each song and never cease to amaze in their chosen mode of vocal delivery. You'll be amazed at the vocal agility as the singers fire runs, riffs and scales that we thought only Americans gospel singers were renowned for, infact upon the first listen one wonders if the group are relatives to Karen Clark Sheard or Mary Mary?

The Vocal influences ooze out of this album like honey from a honeypot, sweetly satisfying you again and again, my ears instantly detected influences such as
Karen Clark Sheard, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Twinkie clark, Kim Burrell, Daryl Coley, Tonex, Stevie Wonder, Maxwell, Al Green, my Savior you'll not believe your ears and the rewind button will be pressed continually....

The music production provided by 'Linslee Campbell' (WHERE has this dude BEEN!?? - oh I forgot!- they from ENGLAND!!) and Nicky Brown (Phew!) has such depth and 'urbanity' coupled with a good ole soul felt CHURCH feel stamped on it in a modern way! (Did that make sense?!)

Songs such as the driving 'No Limits', the hot track 'Fire' , the challenging 'Playing Games' , the mega urban 'Since I Found You', the summery groover 'Everything' , the cool neo soul 'Crazy Faith', the roaring 'He Can do it', the daring 'God says No', the convicting 'Changed' -the list goes on (there are 18! yes 18 tracks!!) all these show that Raymond & co are simply not 'Playing Games'

One can talk so much about an album, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so with your ears acting as your mouth, and the 'Playing Games' CD being your dessert; I'd say it's time to get eating............

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raymond & Co, January 27, 2004

By 

Kevin J. Newsome (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing Games (Audio CD)

Every now and then a sound or artist/group comes along and forces the industry to sit up, listen, and create a new genre in music. In this case the group is Raymond & Co, their CD is Playing Games, and genre is soon to be named "Funky Neo-soul Gospel".
A soulful nuance of urban flava that consist of driving 808 bass lines, rhythmic high-hats, head nodding changes, and melodic grooves blended with near flawless vocal harmonies that extol the name of God in every lyrical phrase. Dare I say gospel funk.
Even with it's heavy urban/club scene sound the message is never lost and you won't have to send out a virtual search party on a subliminal hunt through a forest of confusing lyrics to try and find some spirituality or even the Word of God in the music.
I mean I've been literally waiting for a CD like this for a hot heavenly minute.
If you are a parent that has had to compromise by letting your teen or pre-teen part-take of secular music to keep them in the car with you, pop this CD in the deck and watch them nod as you discover what they mean by the phrase "getting crunked". Oh, a bit of "WARNING". Turn the bass down a bit if you value the life of your speakers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dynamic Gospel from the UK!, May 31, 2005

By 

A. Daniels Jr. "artscholar" (Los Angeles County, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playing Games (Audio CD)

We live in a world where many people think that Christianity is "boring" and that you cannot have fun and enjoy life as a Christian. When it comes to Christian music the same false impression continues. But ever since the days when the Winans (Marvin, Carvin, Mike, and Ron) ruled the Gospel scene (and Commissioned, of course!), this has been changing. I ran into Raymond & Co in a Christian bookstore and listened to a few songs, and I immediately fell in love with their unique style and harmony.

I did finally buy the CD a few days ago, and even though almost all the songs are very good, I am particularly loving the songs "No Limits," "Everything," and "Miracles." One of the major criticisms of this kind of Gospel is that it is "too worldly."

However, there is nothing inherently wrong with certain beats or melodies. I don't see any Scripture which says "Thou shalt not use a 50 Cent beat to praise God." Besides, half the time many of those in the "hip-hop" community "steal" beats and melodies from the Church, not the reverse. These guys are so good that I plan to recommend them to "Club Yahweh," a Christian "club" (that's right, I said Christian CLUB) located in Oakland, CA where Christians can go to praise God in song and the dance (if they don't already play Ray & Co.).

But my main point would be that even though groups like Raymond & Co use more contemporary music in their praise of God, we can be sure that it is GOD they are praising because their lyrics are clearly in praise and worship of God. How much more can anyone praise God than by saying: "Lord, You are my everything...Shepherd, Master and my King. Without You I am nothing, no. I love You so, ooohh"? So let's stand up and support these brothers and sisters from the UK and praise God with them!