David Bruce Murray
Diana Brantley
Kyle Boreing
Phil on Southern Gospel
Steve EatonIt is time to answer some more reader email and offer the reader’s choice post for this week. Brenda in Tennessee asked what other musical genres I listen to and if those other musical genres influence my listening preferences within Southern Gospel music.
Brenda, this is a great question. I have been thinking about a response to this ever since I read the email. The more I thought about it the more I realized there is a correlation between musical genre preferences and how that translates to my likes/dislikes within Southern Gospel music.
Outside Southern Gospel, I do listen to some CCM in Christian music. As far as mainstream musical genres I listen to Country music, some modern rock, some blues and growing up in the 1980′s, XM has a channel devoted to ’80s rock that I listen to frequently.
If I were to narrow it down 99% of my Christian music listening is Southern Gospel while 80% of my mainstream music listening is country music. I am a sucker for a nice hook, country melody and crying steel guitar.
How does that translate to my Southern Gospel music listening? Anytime I am listening to a new Southern Gospel album by any artist, my ears ‘perk up’ immediately when the song has a country melody. Does that translate to that song getting a preference over the other songs on the album? No, it only means it grabs my initial attention before another song may.
Also, lets not confuse style preference for bad singing. I know there are many who dislike country music. That is perfectly fine, but I have talked to individuals (who know I like country music), that wonder how I can enjoy bad music. A vocal twang doesn’t constitute bad singing (at least from a technical standpoint), just a style preference.
So let me open it up to everyone. First, what other musical genres do you tend to listen to and enjoy? Second, do those preferences influence the style you prefer within Southern Gospel music?
Love SG the most… I do listen to Classic Country and some HIGH-BROW classical. But mostly SG – and at that, mostly quartets.
JEB
Really I have such a wide array of tastes that I can enjoy a similarly wide range in gospel music. I enjoy 80s music, both smooth ballads and guitar-shredding stuff, so I listen to a lot of 80s era Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, etc. I also love the music the Imperials did in the 70s and 80s.
I’m a sucker for anything piano-driven—pop piano, jazz piano, country piano, you name it. I will go for the occasional old Billy Joel, some of the stuff Five For Fighting puts out now, etc., plus piano-fueled CCM stuff by people like Michael W. Smith and Mark Schultz. I’m a pianist myself, so it’s always fun to go pick out that stuff by ear.
I love classic jazz, by which I mean 40s jazz. I love the music of George Gershwin, both the songs he wrote and his instrumental work. I love the Andrews Sisters. I love tight jazz harmonies and the jazzy big-band sound. And did I mention jazz piano?
I don’t love all country music, but I can enjoy the sound, and I can easily get into a characteristic country heartwarmer or guitar-shredder. I like a lot of Brad Paisley’s stuff, and I think his guitar playing is out of this world. Gordon Mote sort of captures everything I like about country, so that’s why I liked him right away.
Then of course there’s inspirational CCM, so bring on the Steve Green, the Twila Paris, etc. Just two of my all-time favorite artists. And I mentioned the 80s, but I love the 90s too. I enjoy the lush harmony groups like 4Him, Phillips Craig & Dean, etc. Even though I didn’t get into all their songs, I love the sound.
I also love acoustic, folk-flavored CCM, so Michael Card and Fernando Ortega are two great favorites there. And for some of the best lyrics ever written period, I always go back to Rich Mullins and Andrew Peterson. Either one would be my pick for “poet laureate” of the genre.
Folk music—I love anything with a bluegrass twist, or an Irish twist. I love Negro spirituals.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that I love all kinds of acapella stuff…
So, um, yeah, anything that kinda falls into one of those categories.
You mentioned folk music. Have you heard the British (what I would classify as folk/rock) band Mumford & Sons? I really enjoy their current recording.
Pure “folk folk” is harder for me to get into than stuff that just has a folk touch or twist—I hadn’t heard of that group. I just looked them up, and I like their lyrics! The vocals don’t sit so well in my ear, but it’s nice music.
Incidentally, I should probably drop in a word here regarding language in songs…Mumford & Sons is an example of an artist who doesn’t have a problem with inserting certain four-letter words into their songs (e.g. “Little Lion Man”). As a general rule, I don’t listen to songs that use that sort of language.
NSGF, I didn’t see Heavy Metal or Rap did I?
I thought Steve was asking about music?
Lol, agreed. I might be able to stomach a few songs that might be considered metal, but they are very much the exception. The one by a metal group I know I like was “More than Words” by Extreme, but it isn’t metal at all.
Okay, I’m back and now that I read the initial post, will comment on me. I am a child of the seventies and teen of the eighties. I like harmony singing, so that effects different genres. As a kid, there was some interesting country with harmonies as that was when groups like the Oaks, Gatlins, brought more harmony there. Now, the Kendalls did a little, and before that there were duets with George and Tammy and others. Later, Alabama hit, Kenny did lots of duets, then groups like Exile, Restless Heart, Diamond Rio, Lonestar and others came. I like at least some from each and some many. (Although admittedly, I like very few by George and Tammy or the Kendalls).
I like MOR stuff a lot, so Kenny Rogers, Lee Greenwood and similar acts are good. I like selected Country, Pop, CCM, Inspo, AC, etc. ranging from the seventies until roughly the early nineties (although there is still on occasion some good things newer than that).
Other specific artists (not nearly exhaustive) I like are Ronnie Milsap, Travis Tritt, Faith Hill, Journey, Chicago, Survivor, REO Speedwagon, Peter Cetera, Lionel Ritchie, Commodores, James Ingram, Dallas Holm, Gaither Trio (some with Gary McSpadden), Gaither Vocal Band, Sandi Patti, Larnelle Harris (mostly earlier stuff), Imperials (mostly Russ Taff era with some before), Russ Taff, Michael English, Jonathan Pierce, Gary McSpadden, Avalon, Philips Craig and Dean, Clay Crosse, and in SG, Gaither Vocal Band (again), Cathedrals, Gold City, Singing Americans, Hoppers, Greenes and Perrys.
So, my tastes are not nearly as electic as NSGF, but I do like other styles.
Diamond Rio—really like them a lot.
Oh, forgot to mention that I listen to all kinds of classical music, e.g. Bach, Handel, Tchaikovsky…not that that would have much to do with my SG tastes.
70′s an 80′s (and some early 90′s) country music (anything from Don Williams and George Jones to Sylvia and Juice Newton), 70′s rock, a little bit of glam rock, funk, some 80′s pop.
I also enjoy some movie scores. I love Bill Conti’s score for the Rocky films.
Being a musician myself, I believe that one should immerse themselves in as many different types for inspiration. It’d like a painter; bigger canvas, more colors.
I have played and/or sang everything from SG to CCM to country to rock to blues to classical. I spent a year playing drums in a hippie band.
Oh yeah, don’t get me started on movie scores… My personal Top 5 would have to include Chariots of Fire, Last of the Mohicans, and the first Star Wars for starters. Something by Korngold would probably be right up there too, and maybe a little Elmer Bernstein… I love the “romantic” style.
I forgot….favorite artists (outside SG) include Ricky Van Shelton, Conway Twitty, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless, Chicago, Kansas, Ry Cooder, Danny Elfman….
I meant to mention that I can appreciate the talent it takes even in styles I don’t like to listen to. Still, I have so much I like listening to (and don’t get the chance) to where I usually stick with it
Other genres i listen to are lots of classic country ,some bluegrass ,some folk and a little southern rock.Some favorite artist are: Connie Smith, Patsy cline , Dolly Parton ,George Jones , Conway twitty , Patty Loveless , Janie Fricke , (who reminds me so much of Kim Hopper) Ronnie Milsap ,Earl thomas Conley , Restless Heart , Steve Wariner ,Vince gill (who coincidentily i’ve followed from bluegrass -The Bluegrass Alliance ,to southern rock-Pure Prairie League ,to country) ,lllrd Tyme Out , J. D. Crowe & The New South , New Grass Revival , Larry Sparks ,Nanci Griffith , Maura O’Connell , Iris Dement , The Charlie Daniels Band ,The Little River Band ,Skynard and Pure Prairie League.
My SG tastes run pretty much the same ,groups i consider to be classic SG that i like are: The Kingsmen , The Catherdrals ,The Happy Goodmans , The Nelons , Heavenbound , The Kingdom Heirs , Gold City and The greenes . SG groups i like that i consider to be country are : The Rambos , The Hinsons , The Freemans , The Mckameys , The Inspirations , The Crabb Family , The Singing Cookes , Karen Peck & New River , The McRaes , The Martins , The Bowling Family , Guy Penrod and Walt Mills. Bluegrass SG groups i like are : The Isaacs ,The Primitive Quartet ,The Marksmen ,and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. SG groups that i consider to have a southern rock flare that i like are : Jason Crabb ,Crabb Revival , Austins Bridge and Crystal River. Buddy greene would fall into the SG folk area i guess.Groups That I’ve just started becoming interested in this past year and love are: Three Bridges , Palmetto State Quartet , Signature Sound and i’ve bound to have left someone out . To sum it all up -I love the multiplicity of style in Southern Gospel music.