May 6, 2005-

Crystal needs polish- I've heard a lot of hoopla lately about a group called The Crystal River Qt. ( www.crystalriveronline.net ) so I thought I would check them out. According to Avery, the Perrys have kind of taken Crystal River under their wings and  feature them on their website. With the hoopla of the Perrys featuring them on their website plus letting Crystal River open concerts for them, I really was expecting something better. Now before I go any farther let me say that I am in no way downgrading Crystal River. I in no way want to hurt the confidence of a group of young men who want to sing SG. Just consider this a critique and just my opinion. In reading their whole site, looking at the pics, and listening to the clips I found out that Crystal River does have potential, but they need a lot of polish. The first thing they need to do is work on their appearance. Wrinkled button up shirts is the first thing that you see when you click on the link above. I don't want to get on the subject of the proper SG apparel here. Wear what you want to wear, but learn how to use an iron. In going through the photos of them in concert with suits on they look exactly like they are trying to be Signature Sound look a likes. You know, the messed up hair and the big ties. SSQ has hit the bigtime (especially with the Gaither thing) and they can wear what they want and mess their hair up. They've already made it. In my opinion, if you haven't made it yet, the last thing you want to do is try and impersonate another group. The soundclips were not what I expected either. The strong points are the tenor and bass. The middle guys have some vocal development to do and over time maybe they will develop more presence. Their harmony is good, but a thin lead voice and a sometimes slightly off pitch baritone makes a weak sounding foundation. I'll give Crystal River this. They have an awesome website. One of the best I've seen.

I applaud the Perrys for taking them under their wings, but I know of a couple of other groups in the same category (young, new, up and coming) as Crystal River. I don't know whatever happened to the Daybreak Qt. but I saw these guys several years ago and still have their debut CD. Kindred Spirit is another in this category. Daybreak and Kindred Spirit, at present, could sing Crystal River off the stage. I just wonder why no one ever took them under their wings or made a fuss over them? I guess that is what you call "getting a big break". Maybe that is what it takes for starters, but you have to follow through. Get the polish out Crystal River and maybe someday you might be the next SSQ.

May 9, 2005-

Underrated- My last post was on a group that is somewhat overrated. Today I want to mention a group that is very underrated. Southern Sound is who I am speaking of. I'll never forget the first time I heard Southern Sound. I believe it was from a link in Ben Harris' (their lead singer) signature on one of the message boards that I ended up on their website. As usual I went to the sound clips and as usual expected something decent. What I heard was far from decent. It was great! (Regardless what gospelmusings thinks, you can tell what a group's sound is like from a 30 second soundclip. After all, if you are not putting the best 30 seconds of your best songs in the soundclips, that is something else you are doing wrong). Southern Sound has some of the tightest harmony I've ever heard. They are what you would consider firmly traditional. While this is not my favorite style, I know great singing when I hear it. It is only my slightly educated guess, but I would say that SS's great sound comes from experience and practice, practice, and more practice. I would dare say there is not a technically better group singing today. What I don't understand is why they are underrated or why they are not more well known than they are? Maybe that is their personal preference? Maybe it is because they are very traditional in a genre that seems to be leaning toward a more progressive style? Whatever the case may be you are doing yourself a disservice if Southern Sound (no matter if traditional is not your favorite sg style) is in your area and you don't go hear them or at least visit them at http://www.southernsoundquartet.com/ and buy a CD and/or listen to the clips. There is a good review of their latest CD, One Voice (very fitting title) on the Southern Gospel Lovers main site.

May 13, 2005-

James hits the nail on the head- James Hales brings up a great point in this article http://sogospelnews.com/index/scene/comments/3842/ . There is nothing in this article that I don't agree with. I just wish more people in SG felt this way. We need to be more open-minded and take good things from other genres of music and apply them to SG. I think those that won't agree with this mean well. They have been brought up like me to think that anything other than traditional SG is just a little closer to being sinful. Like James I've seen CCM concerts and witnessed for myself the impact that they are having on audiences. I've been to SG concerts where 0-20 were in the altar or at the stage for prayer or salvation. I've been to CCM concerts where 100s were in the altar or at the stage for prayer or salvation. I've been to a Bluegrass concert (yes, my musical taste is broad) where 90% of the songs were secular and one contemporary bluegrass Christian song brought people to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying that SG should become secular or even anything close to it. SG just needs to be more relevant. Songs should be relevant to present day life. It is all fine and good to "cross Jordan" or "bring in sheeves", but a lot of people don't know what crossing Jordan means and have no idea what sheeves are. One writer who writes very relevant SG songs is Joel Lindsey. I've gone on too long on this rant. Read James' article SG and take it to heart.

May 16, 2005-

Now I know how DBM feels- David Bruce Murray (SGN writer and CD reviewer) sometimes catches heat because of his brutally honest CD reviews. Even though it wasn't a CD review, I now know how he feels. I received this comment about my May 6 post "Crystal needs polish":

"I want to write to you about your comments on Crystal River Quartet,  how dare you!!! You obvisoulsy have no idea who these young men are!!!  Spend a day with them and you will be touched!!! Gods love is overflowing from each one of them. You tell me how many young men you know are trying to live thier lifes everyday, twenty four hours a day for our Lord. There is alot of big name groups out there who does not have the devotion and the love that these boys do, and then they have people out there who call themselves christians pulling them apart and trying to discouraging them. You say they dont deserve to be where they are, but then in the same paragraph say that you are trying not to hurt thier confidence, then tell me what are you trying to do.  Give them advise?  No your not, because as a christains advise doesnt come with rude and ignorant comments. You dont know the struggles those boys have been through, you dont know about where they come from and how each one of those boys could have easily been somewhere else and doing other things in thier lives, but through Gods love and Gods guidance they are the one and only Crystal River Quartet! So maybe you should take it up with God how you just downgraded something great that he has put together!  Any sucess that these boys have is not by chance, or because of people they know, its because of the talent that God has given them, and the need to share that talent and the message with others!! I just dont understand how you as a christian can say such things about a group you know nothing about, in my perspective its the same thing as reading just a verse from the bible and  saying you know Gods word!"

I think my May 6 post below speaks for itself. I never questioned anyone's desire to serve the Lord, their Christianity (of course mine is being questioned), or their ministerial intentions. I used the word "critique". A critique is constructive criticism. My intentions are to build up not tear down. I don't know who the above reader is. There was only a first name. They are either a diehard fan or a family member of Crystal River. In either case I applaud them for their loyalty. However, I believe loyalty can sometimes affect judgement and bring on unjustified defensiveness where it is not needed. It apparently can also block comprehension of statements like this:         "Now before I go any farther let me say that I am in no way downgrading Crystal River. I in no way want to hurt the confidence of a group of young men who want to sing SG. Just consider this a critique and just my opinion."

My respect for DBM just went up even more.

May 18, 2005-

ISGMN on the positive side- Avery has posted about ISGMN (International Southern Gospel Music Network) lately. He is in no way bashing ISGMN, but in a way only Avery can his "investigative reporting" is shedding a semi-negative light on ISGMN and it's owner Jeff McGlaughlin (I think this is the proper spelling of his name?). I'm sure that Avery, while being a critic, will be fair as his record shows. However, I must offer some positive comments about Jeff. Years ago I inquired to Jeff by email about ISGMN. This was at a time when the group I am with had just started out and made our first recording. Jeff had obtained a copy of the project and I asked in an email what he thought about it. I wanted an honest critique. Jeff warned me ahead of time that he would listen to the project again and be brutally honest. Instead of emailing me, he gave me a call and a good but honest review. Our conversation went on for approximately 2 hours. From what I could gather from the conversation, Jeff is a very honest Christian man who wants the best for SGM. He never tried to sell me anything and only mentioned in passing that our group should enter the ISGMN talent contest in which he thought we had a good chance of winning. I don't know if they have a talent contest now? It was not a live event. You sent in a song or two from a recording. I wish I could remember the groups because at one time Jeff produced projects for some big time secular and SG artists. Anyway, I just wanted to say something positive and put a plug in for the ISGMN http://isgmn.org/ .

May 19, 2005-

The definition of quality music- I don't know if there is one definition of quality music. Everyone probably has a different definition. Sure, there are those that can't carry a tune in a bucket who wouldn't fall under anyone's definition of quality, but I don't think a large amount of people ever hear them. There are those that may not be exactly on pitch all the time in many different forms of music (including SGM) that are highly successful and popular. Is Bob Dylan's singing an example of quality? In case you didn't figure it out already this post has to do with avery's post and the comments from his readers about the Inspirations. As usual I have a slightly different view of Avery's comments and the comments of his readers. The readers seem to think the Inspirations popularity has to do with the age of their fans and their fanbase in the Southeast. Avery says a lot, but it seems his bottom line is this: "This is the cognitive paradigm with which I tend to approach music: good music stands out and transcends preference - you may not like something, but if it's really good it will demand a kind of respect on the merits, regardless of its appeal."  The only thing is, does this sell CDs? Quality to a certain level will determine whether someone can sing church solos or be a cover band at a night club. Beyond that quality is a mute point. Popularity equals success. For a SG group success equals being able to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel and paying the bills. While the Inspirations are not my favorite group and they are not perfect when it comes to quality, they are popular across the nation even into Canada. Their Singing in the Mountains (or whatever it's called) attracts people from across the nation and Canada. The Inspirations are unique. This is one thing I agree with Avery on: "groups out there that find an exploitable niche, a style of singing and a way of presenting themselves that manages to defy the odds most averagely trained ears would place on a musically below-average group's chances of success and make a go of it? Probably." One fan's "musically below-average group" is oftentimes 100 fan's favorite group. Why? Popularity not quality.

Like I said the Inspirations are far from being my favorite group and are not the music professor's definition of "quality",  but there is one thing about them that makes it hard to knock them. Financial success. Tell me of another SG group where even the non-founding members make $65k a year, a group that owns it's own motel, and a group that had to upgrade to a fullsize truck to take product to the post office to be shipped weekly. Offer me a position with a "quality" group making $25k a year and offer me a position with the Inspirations for $65k a year. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

May 30, 2005-

Tony Peace possibility and love gift- I got a call yesterday from a friend who watched Tony's TV show and had a couple of tidbits that made me curious and the speculation began. (Disclaimer: The "tidbits" are true, the speculation is totally mine and should not be mistaken for facts or rumors). It seems in Tony's show he mentioned that a lot of SG artists (the example he used was Brian Free) leave a group, go solo, and then form their own group. My friend said that Tony even went as far as to point to himself and say that the Lord could even lead him in that direction. Could be nothing, but it is certainly something to be watching for. The other "tidbit" is the way Tony is selling/giving his new solo project, The Story. He advertised that it was now available and you could receive a copy by sending in any "love gift" that the Lord lead you to send. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this but this is where my curiousity makes me start speculation. I have no idea what Tony's financial situation is. I know and/or assume, due to the fact that he is no longer with PSQ, that there is some loss of income. This is really none of my business, but it does make me wonder why he would not charge a set amount for the project to insure a set amount of income. On the other hand maybe he doesn't think of it as being good enough. I have no idea about that because I haven't heard it. Maybe that will be my next project review. Don't worry, I'll send $15.

SN closing- Well, not really, but they might as well be. Unless they are going to offer more than what they have now this "subscribers only" thing will probably be a Southern Fried flop. This is good news for SGML and SGN.

Long time no write- This is the busy time of the year for SG which makes less and less time for me to blog. Not only that I am trying to keep more than one thing going at a time.