The Cathedrals - High and Lifted Up

I must be in a CD-reviewing mood (thanks to my recent trip to the flea market!!). Not only did I pick up another copy of Gold City's First Class, but I also got a hold of a couple Cathedrals CD's, one is a collection of Benson material, the other is one of my all-time favorites, High and Lifted Up.

I originally bought this CD when I was working at Family Christian Store back in 2001. Someone had ordered a copy of it, and we received two by mistake, so I took it upon myself to correct the situation by buying the second copy. I'm glad I did!! Since then, through various moves, the CD has since been scratched and damaged beyond playability, and the only copy I had was ripped to a computer that is currently not working, so when I found an original copy of it at Trader's World, I grabbed it.

First off, the production on this CD is probably some of the best on any Cathedrals CD. The mix keeps the voices out front, the tracks are very smooth and tight, and it has an almost "untouchable" feel to it. The vocals, oddly enough, are not the tightest in some spots, but it actually gives an otherwise-flawless album a "natural" touch. Also, tracks NEVER overpower the voices; the balance is very even throughout. Perhaps part of this is due to the heavy reverb effects on the voices, allowing them to "blend" into the tracks a bit more, but either way, this is probably THE example of how voices and tracks should be mixed.

The album starts off with "A Comfort To Know," a classic "Cathedral Quartet" up-tempo song - piano intro, George Younce solos, and high-tenor ending. Nothing spectacular, but for die-hard fans, this is your die-hard sound.

It follows with a song co-written by Ernie Haase, "Death Has Died." I have long-said that Ernie is not my favorite tenor (nothing personal, just not my cup o' tea), but this is by far my favorite Haase lead. This seems to be the point where he really comes into his own, singing wise, and develops the depth and fullness to his voice that seemed to be lacking somewhat on previous projects.

"Jesus Has Risen" is a very unique song. Hammered dulcimer is rare in gospel music, but leave it to Lari Goss to try something different. Given the waltz tempo, it gives the whole song a more classical feel. Not only that, but it also gives Roger Bennett a chance to shine on the second verse. I know when it was done live, Roger and Ernie traded off high notes on the last chorus, but I still can't quite tell if they did so on the record. Either way, Roger's range really shows with this song.

"At The Name Of Jesus" is a wonderful Glen Payne lead. A slower "gospel praise" ballad, he flat out nails this song. Some beautiful harmonies on this song, as well.

"High and Lifted Up" is another lead by Glen. From the time Mark Trammell joined the group (and even more so when Scott Fowler took over), Glen moved more toward baritone status, with harmonies stacked higher above the lead rather than the standard tenor, lead, baritone arrangements. Perhaps this was done to keep Glen from doing any damage to his voice. This song, however, shows just how much of a range Glen really had. The end of this song is probably the highest I have heard Glen sing in years. This is the album's epic ballad, and while the orchestra definitely gets a workout, but as stated before, the tracks never overpower the vocals. The result is a powerful song without being overpowering, a rarity indeed.

"Jesus Saves" is another epic, but it's an uptempo epic, full of horns and strings. This was the big hit from this album, written by Roger and Debbie Bennett. Scott Fowler gives a strong, confident lead on this album, giving us a taste of what was to come with Legacy Five.

"I Thirst" is what I consider to be the "sleeper hit" from this project. While not necessarily a big hit for the group, it has gained a steady following among gospel fans. Written by Bev Lowry (yes, Mark's mom), George shows off his upper range beautifully. He holds the lead throughout the majority of the song, letting Ernie take over on the last chorus.

"Everyday, Every Hour" is interesting in itself. The song was written by Terry Franklin, who was singing with the Gaither Vocal Band. The GVB also recorded this song the same year, but with a much more contemporary arrangement, heavy on synthesizers and drum loops, while the Cathedrals' version is much more southern in nature, taking on a slight big-band arrangement. I prefer this version of the Vocal Band's simply because it seems to play much better with the simplistic lyrics and hook.

"I'd Like To Say It Again" is the only song I think could've been left off the project. I can see why it's the last song; while a decent composition, it just kinda sits there, and if it were placed halfway through the album, it would've slowed the pacing down considerably. Not the most spectacular song, and I'm not sure if I like George speaking the lines as the rest of the group sings, but like I said, a decent song.

If you'll notice, I left "Come Home" for last. This is my favorite song on the entire project, and also my favorite Scott Fowler lead. It's a beautiful song about redemption (and is the perfect song for an altar call) that gets straight to the point of heeding God's call. Although the studio version is great, the live rendition with just a piano backing is probably the best performance of Scott's tenure with the group.

All in all, a very fine album by one of the greats.