Real Man. Real Life. Real God. – John Berry

RATING:  7.300 (10 song average)

• Album – Real Man. Real Life. Real God.
• Artist – John Berry
• Label – Daywind Records
• Style – Country, P&W
• Release Date – 01/24/12
• Available For Digital Download? – Yes

SYNOPSIS:

Country recording artist John Berry released his first Gospel recording with Real Man, Real Life, Real God.  Best known for his mid ’90′s country hit “Your Love Amazes Me”, Berry is venturing into the Christian music market and plans on traveling as a full-time Christian artist.

Real Man, Real Life, Real God is stylistically country with mainly new material.  There are several praise and worship style covers that find a home on this new recording.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• This album has enough country elements to make it marketable in Southern Gospel music.  The album starts with a very strong country-style tune, “I Worship You”.  This song would make a great Southern Gospel radio single choice.
• The acoustical themed “The Lord Is My Shepherd” is the strongest Southern Gospel track on Real Man.  The song is a hymn of sorts taking the 23rd Psalm and putting it to music.
• I am glad to see John Berry stay with his country roots on songs like “Real Man” and “Hard To Sing The Blues”.
• Strongest songs included in order:  ”The Lord Is My Shepherd”, “I Worship You”, “Love Is A Cross”, “Hard To Sing The Blues” and “It’s Got To Be Love”.

DISLIKES:

• “Straight Down Rain” was not the strongest choice for first Southern Gospel radio single.
• The praise and worship elements to Real Man take away from the straight ahead country-style album I was expecting.  There are selections on this recording that would do well at CCM radio.
• Weakest songs included in order:  ”Blessed Assurance”, “I Go To You” and “Return To Me”.

SONG LIST:  1. “I Worship You” (7.5)  2. “Real Man” (7)  3. “Blessed Assurance” (7)  4. “I Go To You” (7)  5. “Straight Down Rain” (7.5)  6. “Hard To Sing The Blues” (7.5)  7. “It’s Got To Be Love” (7.5)  8. “Return To Me” (7)  9. “Love Is A Cross” (7.5)  10. “The Lord Is My Shepherd” (7.5)

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