David Bruce Murray
Diana Brantley
Kyle Boreing
Phil on Southern Gospel
Steve Eaton
The best of 2011 continues with the album and recorded song that find a home at #7. Vocally, The Collingsworth Family get stronger with each new recording. As the children continue to mature vocally and the harmonies get tighter among the family unit, the group’s future in Southern Gospel music is assured.
The album that is #7 among the best album releases of 2011 is the Collingsworth Family; Part Of The Family. This is the group’s first recording on the newly formed Stow Town Records. The group has built a formula around bringing the listener big power ballads that seem to build as the song progresses.
The one downside to offering so many power ballads on this recording is the lack of up tempo songs. It wasn’t enough of a downside to warrant a lower rating in the annual count down of Southern Gospel’s best album releases.
Personal favorite songs from this recording include: ”The Resurrection Morn”, “Tell The Mountain”, “That’s The Place I’m Longing To Go”, “At Calvary”, “Nothing’s Worrying Me”, “Joy Unspeakable” and “Jesus Is All I Need”.
The Booth Brothers have been releasing quality music since bursting on the scene over 15 years ago. Since their introduction to the Southern Gospel listener, the Booth Brothers have built their sound around near perfect harmony singing.
The song that lands at #7 among the best recorded songs of 2011 is a song from the group’s 2011 album, Let It Be Known, that showcases that near perfect harmony singing. ”The Master’s Table”, penned by Rebecca Peck, is a lesson in harmony singing. It is harmony that separates Southern Gospel music from many other musical art forms. Listen to the first verse and chorus to “The Master’s Table”.
Tomorrow will close out another week with #6.
I love the guitar into on that song, it sounds like an Eagles song. Michael said they asked the guitar player in the studio to, “Give us an Eagles-type intro”. After hearing it, Michael said, “We didn’t say we wanted a call from their lawyers!”
I had heard that too. Funny.
My seventh favorite recording released in 2011 is the live concert by the Bowling Family titled “Miracles and Memories”. While this was released as a live DVD, the Bowling Family also released a companion audio CD. It seems many groups these days only release the video version of live recordings, but I prefer audio recordings because I will listen to a CD multiple times, but sometimes only find time to watch a DVD once. This CD contains some of the Bowling Family’s best songs from their 2 previous recordings (“Your Cries Have Awoken the Master”, “Miracle Today”, “Tell Them That I Love Them”, “I Still Glory In The Cross”), some great old songs (“I Go To The Rock”, “That I Could Still Go Free”, “We’ll Understand It Better”), and even a couple of Crabb Family classics (“Don’t You Want To Go” and “Please Forgive Me”). It also contains enough talking to make it be a live concert but not enough to take away from the recording. The only negative might be the 2 tracks that feature the Bowling kids, but since it has 15 additional songs I can certainly accept these two. I’m sure the DVD recording is great as well, but I can certainly recommend this CD because it is my favorite live recording from 2011.