Reviewed by John Daniels

Some people have been brought up on Gaither gospel music, but that's not this reviewer's experience, or my kind of music, but nevertheless it's hard not to pick up on the enthusiasm and the exercising of God's gifting demonstrated on this album. The unmistakable voice of George Younce is no longer with us, he "moved up yonder" in 2005 after 50 years singing Southern gospel, over 40 of them with the legendary Cathedrals. Much of the material here is compiled from Homecoming Friends shows which rather resemble a Christian version of the Andy Williams Show of my youth. Hence tracks such as "God Loves To Talk To Little Boys While They're Fishing" and those which are just there to celebrate the gift of music, and indeed laughter, like "The Laughing Song". And why not? The Cathedrals appear with George on this album, as do a host of others including Bill Gaither himself. The 15 tracks on the album demonstrate fully the vocal talents of George Younce and get off to a strong start with a version of "This Old House" which knocks spots off Shakin' Stevens'. If Gaither gospel is your style then you will probably be familiar with much of the material on this CD, but if you're like me it'll be a good introduction to Southern gospel. A chance to wallow in nostalgia and a little sentimentality perhaps, but still is an appropriate tribute to a Southern gospel veteran.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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