Gaither Vocal Band - "Lovin' Live"

After listening to Lovin’ Live, I got the impression that Bill, Guy, Marsh, and Wes truly have a ball singing together. Lead vocals are traded off to each member throughout most of the songs, and it truly feels like a “group project,” as opposed to previous GVB releases from the last 10 years that sounded more like the “Guy Penrod Overdub Vocal Band.”

The most noticeable difference about this project compared to past projects is that the album was produced entirely by the Gaither Vocal Band (each member gets a producers credit). As a result, Lovin’ Live takes on a more relaxed, “let’s get together and sing” feel rather than, “let’s go make a commercial, radio-ready album.” The uptempo songs are much more peppy and energetic, and the ballads seem to be full of emotion and feeling. While this makes for an overall pleasant listening experience, it also seems like they were less objective when selecting songs and creating arrangements. Some of the song selections left me scratching my head, but I guess if you’re picking your own material, you can do whatever you feel like doing!! A keen eye will also notice the absence of long-time GVB co-producer Michael Sykes. While Bill and Guy have been working as producers for years, Sykes' hand has always been noticeable in their arrangements, and I can hear a difference in their sound without him in the studio.

Several of the tracks also feature Gordon Mote’s piano playing. Ever since Bill brought him in to take over stage piano duties following the death of Anthony Burger, Gordon seems to have become the unofficial “fifth member” of the GVB, both on stage and in the studio (Gordon is credited as being the “session leader” on this project). It seems that "Lonely Mile" was chosen specifically to give Gordon his own feature, as it is predominately piano instrumentation (which also makes it kinda pointless for a GVB album, as there is very little singing on it). Maybe the Vocal Band will evolve further to make Gordon an official member??

There are several Gaither covers here, preventing this from being a completely new project. The two most noticeable covers are "Build An Ark" and "Search Me, Lord." "Build An Ark" sounds like they took the previous version recorded in 1994 (with Jonathan Pierce, Buddy Mullins, and Mark Lowry) and added a Caribbean horn line (and someone doing a party scream). The last version was a mellow, laid back track that worked well; the new version sounds like the old one on steroids. Why then would they go to all that work to re-cut one song, only to recycle the track from another song?? "Search Me, Lord" is just new vocals recorded over a 13 year old track. This is not the first time this has happened in Gaitherworld; tracks have been recycled between artists (such as "Old Friends"), but the Vocal Band itself just did the same thing on their previous album with "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go," and then SINGLED it!! I hope they don't do the same thing here....again.

As for the new material, "Jesus and John Wayne" sounds like a pseudo-spiritual country song that maybe Montgomery Gentry would record. The references are weak at best, although the music is well-done. The intro left me thinking, "How much do I owe you, to the mother said the son...." "The Difference Is In Me" gets a peppy treatment here, which is irresistibly catchy. I haven't heard the original version enough to tell if it's similar in style, but this version sticks out to me. Wes Hampton seems to have a lot of fun with this one. "Home Of Your Dreams" is musically repetitive, and while the idea behind the song is good, the hook just quite set well with me for some reason. It's like I'm left wondering, "What exactly IS the home of my dreams? It's described, but never identified." Yes, I know that they're talking about Heaven, but still....it's left somewhat ambiguous. It almost reminds me of the early 70's Oaks material that talked about "spiritual" material without being overtly evangelical.

I really like Wes' feature on "There's Always A Place At The Table." It's not a power ballad, but it's a very strong message for those who are lost. No matter what you may have done in the past, there is someone who will always love you. "Go Ask," another cover of an older Gaither tune, sounds musically similar to "I Heard It First On The Radio," very smooth and tight - typical GVB fare by now. "When I Cry," written by Marshall Hall and Benjy Gaither, shows just how deep the father's love runs for us. Marsh has so much emotion in his voice that comes through beautifully. "Prisoner of Hope" is a nice change of pace; an uptempo 3/4 tune that gives Guy Penrod a chance to shine without pushing too much.

I probably could've done without "Lonely Mile" and "Then He Bowed His Head And Died." The former, as stated above, barely registers as a vocalist feature, and the latter seems to be included to account for the customary "power ballad" for the album; in the end, it is probably one track too many....

I have noticed a couple things about the GVB on this album. First of all, as stated before, they seem to be having a ball singing together, which is apparent both in the studio and on stage. Secondly, they seem to be abandoning the "Let Freedom Ring," rafter-screaming anthems. Perhaps this is partly due to the lack of David Phelps, who was just a freak of nature. It also seems that Guy's voice seems to be weakening just a bit from 13 years of tenor-range singing and vocal strain. I don't doubt that Wes could sing some of those songs, but when the Vocal Band and Signature Sound did their joint version of "These Are They," rather than have Wes sing the last verse, as David had been doing, Guy sang the last verse (and seemed to be stretching to hit those notes, too). Maybe it's not just the departure of Phelps as much as it is Guy trying to save his voice for a while longer.

Overall, this album has its moments, but as some have stated before, it's a different direction for the Gaither Vocal Band. Their loyal fans will enjoy it regardless, but if you're used to the huge anthems and unique arrangements, you may be somewhat surprised.