Church - Songs of Soul and Inspiration [ENHANCED]

Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 2003)
• Original Release Date: May 6, 2003
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Utv Records
• ASIN: B00008OLX5
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #96,266 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
At some moment in their lives, church-going folk discover that "church" isn't so much about the building as it is about a frame of mind. Dr. Maya Angelou perhaps says it best introducing Church: Songs of Soul and Inspiration: "I cannot define the breadth and depth and width and height of church, but church can define me always." The rest of this entertaining collection is full of richly talented female vocalists from all styles who share how church has defined them. Jennifer Holliday ("The Wonder of You") and Patti LaBelle ("Way Up There") reveal the deep influence of gospel upon their lives, while Stephanie Mills (covering Ashford & Simpson's "Reach Out and Touch") and En Vogue (covering the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love") offer a more contemporary pop approach, as does Dionne Warwick with a redo of her timeless '70s classic "What The World Needs Now Is Love." Through it all, the object of their affection fuels the passion, spirit, and art that are woven so richly throughout church history. Ann Nesby brings it all to a focused point in her stirring and powerful "A Song for You." --Michael Lyttle

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMEN!!!, June 3, 2003

By	Karl Miller "kemspeaks" (Phoenixville, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What an incredible CD.
From the opening words of Dr. Maya Angelou through the performances of some of our most talented working female vocalists, "Church" is unique, uplifting and incredibly powerful. There isn't a bad performance on the disc, and most of these women raise the rafters with their powerful vocals turned over to sing praise music.
A few of the major highlights include a reworking of Chaka Khan's classic "Love Me Still (from the "Clockers" soundtrack) - here, Chaka's vocals are both more pensive and pleading, and Bruce Hornsby's piano work sounds even more reflective, fitting perfectly with the song. Patti LaBelle's "Way Up There" takes things up a notch like only Patti can do, and her use of power in her vocals is only rivaled by Ann Nesby (from The Sounds Of Blackness) who turns in an outstanding cover of LEon Russell's "A Song For You".
On the mellower side, (but still excellent) be sure to check out Patti Austin's version of "You Gotta Be" - it is a reworked version of the song made famous by Des'ree, and PAtti makes it work beautifully. And relative newcomer Nnenna Freelon does great work on the classic "Ooh Child" (note - if you find you like Nnenna, be sure to check out her album of covers of Stevie Wonder songs). It's also great hearing Stephanie Mills again, and she does a solid job on "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand).
Be sure not to miss Denyce Graves' "Ave Maria", which is goosebump inducing.
This is just a collection of truly stellar performances, guaranteed not to disappoint fans of spiritual music, r&b, or even classic pop tunes. While the song selection might not look like a spiritual Top 40 list, the performances clearly hit that mark.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Singers make for a Great CD!, June 3, 2003

By	extremeparanoya (LA) - See all my reviews

When you bring together some of the best singers in the business you get one incredible album. What Church contains is an amazing group of singers who all have their roots in gospel music. Many of them grew up singing in their local gospel choirs and this album is a nod back to those days that taught them much about their own musical talent and showed them their path for the future. Where this album diverges from the typical gospel stuff is in the song selection. Who would've thought we would hear EnVogue covering the BeeGee's hit "How Deep Is Your Love"? Or how about Nnenna Freelon covering "Ooh Child". Along with these pop covers are a great selection of songs that follow a more religious and spiritual approach such as "Ave Maria" sung by Denyce Graves or Shirley Caesar's "His Eye is on the Sparrow". Whatever the song, each one is an amazingly beautiful piece of work that shows the devotion and love of each singer to their craft and history. This is such a great album and let's hope that it does well so we can get more installments in the future because great talent shouldn't be wasted. This is an album that I would recommend to every one of my friends and after listening to it you will agree too.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Food for the soul, June 8, 2003

By	imchael johnson (jacksonville, florida United States) - See all my reviews

My soul looks back and wonder how what took so long for a musical offering of this caliber to reach the shelves. These gifted ladies have truly blessed us with their glorious voices. Each song stands out and has been given a very personal and timeless performance. Maya Angelou starts things off with a poignant spoken piece. Patti Labelle and Jennifer Holiday then take us to church with their soulful powerhouse vocals. Stephanie Mills follows with a beautiful cover of Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand. Other highlights include: Ann Nesby, Chaka Khan, Patti Austin.....I could go on and on. Just rush out and get this one.....you'll be delighted.