Mightymic, I totally agree with you on the LOUD music and the STACKED voices.  If I go to hear a choir, I expect to hear a choir and if I go to hear a trio or quartet, I don’t want to hear a choir.  I’m with you in that I wonder what they are trying to hide the reason for the heavy stacks.  There is a mixed trio I always looked forward to hearing in the past, but they are so heavily stacked now that it does sound like an entire choir and it ruins the whole thing.  “Back-up voices” is ok but not when it sounds like a 100 voice choir.  Let’s get back to VOICES and LYRICS to the song being the main things in Gospel Music.
....Just my opinion also——-everybody has one.

WOW !!! Why can’t we just get along—Opinion——My family has recorded a couple songs using stacked vocals - We are part-time part of the time - but love SG—- in sharing our favorite singers - again that’s all prception / opinion of each one of us - However - as I have said before quoting someone else—“a million dollar band can make a ten cent voice sound great—” a soft answer turneth away wrath” —I’m through—next !!!!!

sojourner - 20 August 2010 06:10 PM

I do NOT think it is their best. Some really good songs - That Sounds Like Home To Me, Please Forgive Me, You Are My All In All. I do not like Muddy Water, Ain’t Nobody, and not too crazy about Love Like I’m Leavin’ - all written by Benjy Gaither, oddly enough. The poor person who made the statement inferring the GVB isn’t SG did have a good point - these 3 songs do not sound SG - they sound trashy actually, and maybe that is because Benjy Gaither does not sing SG and cannot write a decent SG song.

This is interesting to me!  I am a BIG fan of the GVB, but when I bought this album and played it for the first time, I immediately deleted the three Benjy Gaither songs from my itunes so when I listened to the album (over and over and over!), I wouldn’t have to hear those three.  However, when I played the actual CD in my home player (over and over and over), I actually began to like these three songs, so I put them back on my itunes, which will eventually get onto my ipod. 

I agree with others that Benjy Gaither is a good writer.  Great, I suppose, though as for how big his royalty check is, it may have a whole lot to do with the fact that his dad is certainly going to choose his songs before someone else’s.  In general, his songs just aren’t the kind of music I enjoy.  I generally like the more traditional sounds done with excellence like GVB does so well.  My personal preference, and we all have one.

Interesting opinions here… As I stated in another post - we, as SG fans need to realize that our audience is dwindling.  Like it or not, GVB and the like have breathed a fresh breath in the music.  While some of the groups mentioned are not my favorite, I can surely appreciate the effort they go to in order to produce the best sound possible.  The Blackwoods, Stamps et al were on the cutting edge of their day.  That’s why folks came to see them.  But we can’t rely on Blackwoods/Stamps fans to keep SG going.  We need to bring new fans out.  We need to reach out and expand the SG audience.  And the folks we need to reach are looking for excellence and they are looking for BIG.  Like ‘em or not, GVB delivers.  And, without fans to buy tickets, groups can’t continue to travel.

I went to the Gaither Concert in tacoma Wa a few weeks ago. I haven’t missed a concert for the last eight years or so except the one in Everett at the Events Center. I will be honest I only went to see Micheal English. I love his voice, and I love the stuff he is doing with GVB these days. I also am so inspired by his personal story, I have faced the same issues, and I have had surgery on my neck three times. My voice is now damaged permanently. So I can Identify with Micheal alot. I wasn’t disappointed at all. It was a great show. I got his book and read it in a day.
I get where the person who said he likes the old time southern gospel music style. I feel that way about country, It is hard to accept change. I have gotten to like some of the recent country, but can’t stand the pop music. Unfortunately music evolves with the times. Bill Gaither is a genius, and I ‘m sure if It wasn’t for him alot of these groups wouldn’t be able to make a living singing and touring. I just wanted to say that the guy has a right to his opinion I can respect what he is saying. And I think for the most part everyone has been pretty respectful.