Come On Home – Nelons

GRADE:  B+

• Album – Come On Home
• Artist – Nelons
• Label – Independent
• Style – Traditional, Progressive
• Release Date – February 2012
• Available For Digital Download? – Yes

SYNOPSIS:

The Nelons have been spending time on the Gaither Homecoming Tour recently.  It is no surprise, the Nelons would call on Bill Gaither to produce their new recording Come On Home.  Released in February 2012, Come On Home is a fifteen song collection of mainly covers of classic Bill and Gloria Gaither tunes.

The listener can hear Bill Gaither’s influence all over the recording.  It reminded me of something the Bill Gaither Trio would have recorded.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Amber Thompson.  Amber is showcased on Come On Home, taking the lead on six songs.  ”Jesus, I Just Wanna Say I’m Sorry” and “Come On Home” are the strongest cuts featuring Amber.
• The ensemble work on the Gaither used tune “Come To The River” makes it one of the strongest songs on the entire recording.  The group should consider releasing this to radio.
• It was nice hearing a throw back to the Nelons glory days in Kelly covering “The Sun’s Coming Up”.  That song goes back to the Rex Nelon Singers first recording in 1977 and became the first major song for the group.
• The mixed trio vocal harmony this version of the Nelons have perfected is absolutely flawless.  With only two up tempo songs on a fifteen song collection, the listener could fade in to boring territory, but a specific vocal moment will hit you when you least expect it.
• Strongest songs included in order:  ”Come On Home”, “Jesus, I Just Wanna Say I’m Sorry”, “Come To The River”, “The Sun’s Coming Up”, “The Diff’rence Is In Me”, “Excuse Me, Are You Jesus” and “Somebody’s Praying”.

DISLIKES:

• I understand the Nelons were going for a slower paced recording with Come On Home, but at times the lack of up tempo numbers does wear on the listener.  The positive is that the listener is not bombarded with over orchestrated tracks.  The vocals are the focal point, instead of the music.
• The number of cover songs.  While each song is sung with precision and vocally the Nelons don’t disappoint, knowing the number of times certain songs have already been recorded does take away from the overall appeal.
• Come On Home doesn’t quite match the strength of the group’s previous effort Beside Still Waters.
• Weakest songs included in order:  ”The Little Brown Church”, “Down To The River” and “When He Talked About His Home”.

SONG/FEATURED VOCALIST – SONGWRITER:  1. “I Have Seen The Children”/Ensemble, guest appearance by Bill Gaither – Gloria Gaither, Paul Overstreet  2. “Come On Home”/Amber Thompson – Gloria Gaither, William Gaither  3. “Come To The River”/Ensemble – Suzanne Jennings, Woody Wright  4. “Somebody’s Praying”/Kelly Clark – John Elliot  5. “Down To The River”/Amber Thompson – Public Domain  6. “The Diff’rence Is In Me”/Amber Thompson – Gloria Gaither, William Gaither  7. “Excuse Me, Are You Jesus”/Jason Clark – Gloria Gaither, William Gaither, Larry Gatlin  8. “Handful Of Dust”/Kelly Clark – Anthony Arata  9. “Morning Has Broken”/Amber Thompson – Eleanor Farjeon  10. “When He Talked About His Home”/Jason Clark – Gloria Gaither, William Gaither, Woody Wright  11. “The Sun’s Coming Up”/Kelly Clark – Dee Gaskins  12. “I Choose The Lord”/Jason Clark – Micah Henson  13. “I Heard It First On The Radio”/Amber Thompson - Gloria Gaither, William Gaither  14. “Jesus, I Just Wanna Say I’m Sorry”/Amber Thompson - Jason Clark  15. “The Little Brown Church”/Jason Clark - Jason Clark