Rene Diekman
Road To Salvation
Euronics CD EGP332
A really smooth and very listenable country gospel release from Holland.
A very well produced album from a Dutch artist, who at times put me in mind of the late Jim Reeves who I know was very popular in Holland. I think Jim would have liked the professional sound of a Hammond organ, piano, electric and acoustic guitar, it really did put me in mind of a Chet Atkins master class from the sixties! (Chet Atkins produced Jim Reeves in the late 1960s, early 1970s) Rene himself has a soft gentle voice with great diction and pitch which really breathes new life into some well known items. Twelve tracks in all starting with the Dallas Frazier country mega hit from the 1970s "There Goes My Everything", here re-Christianised as "He Is My Everything!" A similar thing with the old country hit from the 1940s "Release Me", here re-titled "Please Release Me!", something I had never heard before from this country music standard! Full marks to the next track "Sweet Spirit", more famously known as "Sweet Sweet Spirit" from very many Elvis Presley concerts, where Elvis would love to sing this on stage, just accompanied by some of his backing singers, most of whom were drawn from the gospel genre. Why this has not been picked up more more widely in country or gospel music circles puzzles me, as I think it's truly inspiring and I know Elvis simply loved it! The Andrae Crouch classic "Through It All" gets a great airing, proving that good music has no boundaries, it sounds equally as good in country gospel as black gospel! "Where The Roses Never Fade","There Is A Fountain" and the excellent closer "Where No One Stands Alone" are just terrific. My only slight criticism might be that perhaps we could have done with a couple of more uptempo tracks, but this is only a minor point,as the whole things exudes class, great songs of faith, very well sung with great sincerity and a "just right" backing for a really fine singer! I always think the best test of any review is would I go out and buy it, to which my answer is an unequivocal YES. Highly recommended!
David Brassington, England. www.crossrhythms.co.uk
Road To Salvation
Euronics CD EGP332
A really smooth and very listenable country gospel release from Holland.
A very well produced album from a Dutch artist, who at times put me in mind of the late Jim Reeves who I know was very popular in Holland. I think Jim would have liked the professional sound of a Hammond organ, piano, electric and acoustic guitar, it really did put me in mind of a Chet Atkins master class from the sixties! (Chet Atkins produced Jim Reeves in the late 1960s, early 1970s) Rene himself has a soft gentle voice with great diction and pitch which really breathes new life into some well known items. Twelve tracks in all starting with the Dallas Frazier country mega hit from the 1970s "There Goes My Everything", here re-Christianised as "He Is My Everything!" A similar thing with the old country hit from the 1940s "Release Me", here re-titled "Please Release Me!", something I had never heard before from this country music standard! Full marks to the next track "Sweet Spirit", more famously known as "Sweet Sweet Spirit" from very many Elvis Presley concerts, where Elvis would love to sing this on stage, just accompanied by some of his backing singers, most of whom were drawn from the gospel genre. Why this has not been picked up more more widely in country or gospel music circles puzzles me, as I think it's truly inspiring and I know Elvis simply loved it! The Andrae Crouch classic "Through It All" gets a great airing, proving that good music has no boundaries, it sounds equally as good in country gospel as black gospel! "Where The Roses Never Fade","There Is A Fountain" and the excellent closer "Where No One Stands Alone" are just terrific. My only slight criticism might be that perhaps we could have done with a couple of more uptempo tracks, but this is only a minor point,as the whole things exudes class, great songs of faith, very well sung with great sincerity and a "just right" backing for a really fine singer! I always think the best test of any review is would I go out and buy it, to which my answer is an unequivocal YES. Highly recommended!
David Brassington, England. www.crossrhythms.co.uk
