STYLE: Gospel RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 997-26084 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
Oh dear! Just what we need! An album of really bad cover versions. What makes this album different is that the Buster Cole Choir is made up of inmates from the Buster Cole Prison in Texas. This recording is part of the Christian outreach which takes place in the prison. However, even taking into account that outreach, hearing this one has to question whether they should ever have foisted there musical wares on the outside world. This really is bad! I would imagine that if I were a songwriter, I would have nightmares about someone like featured vocalist Gary Gibbs being let loose on my creations! Gary needs to face up to the fact that his vocal prowess is only one notch above above pub singer. Added to that are the cheesy arrangements and lacklustre backing vocal and since I have a twisted sense of humour, I'm wondering if this is actually a joke! Sadly, it is not. The lack of sensitivity in turning Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" (probably one of the saddest songs written) into a jolly rambling country tune has to be questioned. Elsewhere, songs by Ray Boltz, Gary Oliver, Phillips, Craig And Dean and Michael Cord are pretty much done over with a little musical sympathy. These songs and arrangements would probably been a fun live performance in prison but actually committing them to tape was a grave mistake.
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not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed
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