VARIOUS ARTISTS
''AMAZING GRACE 3: A COUNTRY SALUTE TO GOSPEL''
JUNE 15 2004
42:35
1 /I'll Fly Away
Albert E. Brumley /Keith Urban /4:47
2 /'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
Traditional /Cyndi Thomson /3:38
3 /Softly and Tenderly
Traditional /Josh Turner /3:36
4 /Sweet By and By
Traditional /Sara Evans /3:36
5 /It Is No Secret
Stuart Hamblen /Dierks Bentley /3:54
6 /Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
Traditional /Buddy Jewell /3:04
7 /Nothing But the Blood
Traditional /Steven Curtis Chapman / Mark Miller /3:29
8 /I Need Thee Every Hour
Traditional /Jamie O'Neal /3:19
9 /Victory in Jesus
Eugene Bartlett /Trace Adkins /4:32
10 /Just a Closer Walk With Thee
Traditional /Joe Nichols /4:48
11 /He Touched Me
William Gaither /The Isaacs /3:52
Though R&B is widely acknowledged as a secular offshoot of Southern gospel, the deep spiritual roots of country music aren't as well recognized. In fact, many of country's top stars have recorded gospel as a matter of course, often devoting entire albums to inspirational material. AMAZING GRACE 3 features a mix of Nashville veterans (Trace Adkins, Sawyer Brown's Mark Miller) and up-and-comers (including Sara Evans and Josh Turner) delivering heartfelt contemporary country renditions of traditional faith-based tunes. The production is appropriately spare and rootsy throughout, with soulfully played fiddles and guitars reflecting the sense of inner peace reflected in the songs' lyrics.
Review (AllMusic)
Amazing Grace, a compilation of well-known gospel standards, brings together some of country music's brightest stars. From Lari White's understated delivery of the title track to Martina McBride's mandolin led version of "How Great Thou Art" to the Charlie Daniels Band's soulful rendering of "Kneel at the Cross," Amazing Grace is a real treat for fans of both secular country music and white Southern gospel. Accompanied by a full band including a bittersweet fiddle and a steel guitar, Paul Overstreet kicks up the tempo with "A Mansion Over the Hilltop," while Shenandoah's "Beulah Land" recalls both Glen Campbell's take on high-lonesome balladry as well as the tight harmonies of Alabama. And sung by the sweetest voices of the genre, two of the loveliest tracks on the record are born of the bluegrass gospel tradition: "I'd Rather Have Jesus" and "Precious Memories," performed by Alison Krauss and the Cox Family and Emmylou Harris, respectively.
Paige La Grone
''AMAZING GRACE 3: A COUNTRY SALUTE TO GOSPEL''
JUNE 15 2004
42:35
1 /I'll Fly Away
Albert E. Brumley /Keith Urban /4:47
2 /'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
Traditional /Cyndi Thomson /3:38
3 /Softly and Tenderly
Traditional /Josh Turner /3:36
4 /Sweet By and By
Traditional /Sara Evans /3:36
5 /It Is No Secret
Stuart Hamblen /Dierks Bentley /3:54
6 /Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
Traditional /Buddy Jewell /3:04
7 /Nothing But the Blood
Traditional /Steven Curtis Chapman / Mark Miller /3:29
8 /I Need Thee Every Hour
Traditional /Jamie O'Neal /3:19
9 /Victory in Jesus
Eugene Bartlett /Trace Adkins /4:32
10 /Just a Closer Walk With Thee
Traditional /Joe Nichols /4:48
11 /He Touched Me
William Gaither /The Isaacs /3:52
Though R&B is widely acknowledged as a secular offshoot of Southern gospel, the deep spiritual roots of country music aren't as well recognized. In fact, many of country's top stars have recorded gospel as a matter of course, often devoting entire albums to inspirational material. AMAZING GRACE 3 features a mix of Nashville veterans (Trace Adkins, Sawyer Brown's Mark Miller) and up-and-comers (including Sara Evans and Josh Turner) delivering heartfelt contemporary country renditions of traditional faith-based tunes. The production is appropriately spare and rootsy throughout, with soulfully played fiddles and guitars reflecting the sense of inner peace reflected in the songs' lyrics.
Review (AllMusic)
Amazing Grace, a compilation of well-known gospel standards, brings together some of country music's brightest stars. From Lari White's understated delivery of the title track to Martina McBride's mandolin led version of "How Great Thou Art" to the Charlie Daniels Band's soulful rendering of "Kneel at the Cross," Amazing Grace is a real treat for fans of both secular country music and white Southern gospel. Accompanied by a full band including a bittersweet fiddle and a steel guitar, Paul Overstreet kicks up the tempo with "A Mansion Over the Hilltop," while Shenandoah's "Beulah Land" recalls both Glen Campbell's take on high-lonesome balladry as well as the tight harmonies of Alabama. And sung by the sweetest voices of the genre, two of the loveliest tracks on the record are born of the bluegrass gospel tradition: "I'd Rather Have Jesus" and "Precious Memories," performed by Alison Krauss and the Cox Family and Emmylou Harris, respectively.
Paige La Grone
