Tag: Gospel
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The Red Clay Strays ‘Made by These Moments’ (2024)
The Red Clay Strays’ Made by These Moments is a really nice blend of 1960s Americana and modern country rock that hits all the right nostalgic notes. Drawing from the roots of country, rock, and soul, the band weaves stories of love, loss, and resilience into the album that pays homage to a bygone era…
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Simon & Garfunkel ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ (1970)
By 1970 Simon & Garfunkel were already household names, celebrated for their rich harmonies and evocative storytelling that defined a generation. Their previous album Bookends had solidified their place as folk rock icons with hits like “Mrs. Robinson” and “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” blending poetic lyrics with lush, genre-defining arrangements. The duo’s ability to…
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The Impressions ‘Keep On Pushing’ (1964)
In Keep On Pushing Curtis Mayfield harnesses his gospel roots to deliver a powerful message of strength and perseverance during the heart of the Civil Rights movement. This album marks the Impressions’ first true effort as an album, showcasing beautifully crafted songs, supported by Johnny Pate’s horn arrangements, the trio’s captivating harmonies, and of course…
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Gene Clark ‘No Other’ (1974)
Gene Clark is best known for his time with The Byrds during the mid-60’s, but his solo work that followed is truly where he began to shine as an artist. His album No Other is honestly somewhat of a lost masterpiece, similar in a way to Dennis Wilson’s magnum opus Pacific Ocean Blue— two great…
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Bobby Womack ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ (1969)
A prolific songwriter with writing credits that spanned numerous genres (including The Rolling Stones “It’s All Over Now”) Bobby Womack’s brand of high-powered gospel soul gave him a career that spanned 60 years and eventually culminated in an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Overcoming a brutally poor childhood (his…
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Randy Travis ‘Old 8 x 10’ (1988)
Listening to Randy Travis has always reminded me of my late grandparents. There’s a tenderness to everything that Travis sings, a no-frills baritone that sounds like a mix of George Jones and Merle Haggard and James Taylor. He exhibits a warmness that feels like a cozy blanket, smells like freshly baked peach pie, and looks…
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Tom Waits ‘Mule Variations’ (1999)
Tom Waits’ Mule Variations is a backwoods country Delta Blues album masquerading as an art piece, encapsulating much of what has made Waits such an iconic American songwriter for over 50 years. It’s utterly otherworldly in one moment, sounding as if it was recorded after a week-long bender in a humid water-logged shed on the…
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Patsy Cline ‘Showcase’ (1961)
Patsy Cline was one of country music’s most influential stars during the formative years of the genre in the early 1960’s, and left a legacy that reverberates to this day. It’s hard to fully articulate just how much Cline means to the country community– her rich and powerful voice, effortlessly punctuated with a steadily controlled…
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The Statler Brothers ‘Flowers on the Wall’ (1966)
The Statler Brothers were a gospel country quartet that rose to the prominence in the late 60’s and early 70’s, enjoying an extensive career that lasted until their final goodbye tour in 2002. Infusing their gospel music roots with traditional country instrumentation and barbershop quartet inspired vocal arrangements, the group was known for being one…
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Kirk Franklin ‘The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin’ (2002)
Kirk Franklin is a modern contemporary gospel singer and this live collection of some of his most popular songs. The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin was recorded live at Lakewood Church, a non-denominational evangelical megachurch in Houston, Texas that has one of the largest congregations in the United States with about 45,000 coming through its doors…
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