::ALBUM REVIEW::
by J Matthew Cobb
Posted: May 10, 2009

The made-for-TV Songs 4 Worship series, assembled by Time-Life, has exploded into a best-selling, spin-off conglomerate that includes everything from country to gospel to pop/CCM and boasting an impressive fifty-plus projects already under their belt. To better push the Christian-oriented brand into an elevated place of accessibility in mainstream, renowned R&B historian David Nathan and producer Preston Glass developed the idea of bringing R&B and soul legends into the worship series by recreating some of gospel’s modern worship anthems and choruses. On Songs 4 Worship: Soul, the production collective brings in soul heavyweights that either have been actively recycled in Time-Life’s midnight-televised compilations and leery of getting new record deals or appear to be active in mainstream music but still lacking the big pop crossover experience. Still, all the names on board are survivors of the soul dynasty and have gained a considerable amount of career inspiration from the glorious sounds of gospel music. Their appearances on this offering are affirming to this body of music and remain the driving pulse of its musical experience.

But there is an unfortunate burden that deepens with a broody and almost-disastrous outcome. The production, mostly conducted by Glass, is obviously too thin and weak; possessing frail drum programming, a lack of live instrumentation and paler mirages of the original versions. When Melba Moore soars into Irish psalmist Robin Mark’s “Days of Elijah,” made even more popular by Donnie McClurkin, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and Judy Jacobs, the song’s empty, hallow shell is light-years away from any of the Van McCoy or McFadden & Whitehead’s PIR prototypes used on her from the ‘70s. Her performance is still pretty good and still surprisingly engages the high notes, but her surroundings fail to match her intensity. Thankfully, she reappears on a moving rendition of “My Tribute” with her longtime duet partner Freddie Jackson (“A Little Bit More”). Jackson chooses a more subdued, sophisticated and romantic approach while Moore unashamedly blows the song out of the water using her gospel-drenched theatrics to rouse up the memorable chorus. The muted trumpet of Johnny Britt gives the song a better stroke of realism as it parades around the lines of R&B balladry. Another duet standout can be traced around the reunion of Peabo Bryson with Regina Belle, a more recent gospel newcomer who impressed gospel listeners with her gospel debut Love Forever Shines in 2008. The two come together on Richard Smallwood’s timeless “Total Praise” and miraculously incorporates fresh revisions that work. Even though the lower key change is obvious, “Total Praise” opens with the closing “amen” chorus” instead of the familiar classically-drenched instrumental introit. This change serves as the tag throughout the song while Bryson and Belle find crafty ways to bring their ad-libs to the forefront. Both voices, along with the backing vocals of Elaine Gibbs, gives the song a proficient grace and beauty that works just as fine for lead vocalists as it did on a big-voiced choir. Belle also revives Hezekiah Walker’s “Grateful” using a soulful Baptist bottom and a stronger acoustic background supported by Rob Mullins’ organ, Tiki Pasillas’ drum licks and Phil Gates’ occasional guitar plucks. Belle’s interpretation of “Grateful,” particularly marked with the live-natured elements on the closing minutes of the vamp, certifies the song as the album’s proudest moment. Former disco diva and sultry balladeer Deniece Williams’s take on Fred Hammond’s “Glory to Glory to Glory” allows her room to enjoy an upbeat groove using her resounding songbird ethic. It’s not quite the performance it should have been, but remarkably rests as one of the album’s comfort spots. Ruben Studdard’s original “Holding On to You, Lord” (done in the likeness of a Commissioned uptempo cut) and Jody Watley’s ‘80s R&B update of Stevie Wonder’s “Heaven Help Us All,” propped up using a serenading Shalamar light-pop instrumentation, are also good, careful mentions.

While the strong set of music legends on Songs 4 Worship: Soul are certain to grasp the attention of soul aficionados, the negatives of the demo-sounding, keyboard-dominated sequences get in the way of most of the singers’ performances. Teddy Pendergrass, who announced publicly his retirement in 2006 from the music business, returns to the studio to recreate Edwin Hawkins’ “Oh, Happy Day.” Though joyful natured from beginning to end, the song is just a glimmer of Pendergrass’s sweaty, gospel/soul fusion workouts found on his PIR masterpieces. Freddie Jackson’s “God Is Amazing” and the New Jack swing-brooding “Young Hearts” performed by Maurice White (while still in great form vocally) have an outdated late ‘80's quality surrounding their musical presentations. Disco diva Evelyn “Champagne” King replaces the sweetness of the Yolanda Adams classic “Open My Heart” with a hearty gospel vocal but suffers from a karaoke-homed track. The latter, possessing that mysterious aura typically found on undiscovered vault tracks, would have easily worked on any of the Earth, Wind & Fire albums or Phillip Bailey’s familiar gospel recordings from the ‘80s. Even Brian McKnight’s musical offering on “You’re Gonna Make It,” which finds the R&B crooner acting as a one-man’s band, reveals the inner deficiencies of a possible financial meltdown on what could have easily been a broader and more favorable musical presentation.

As with most compilations these days, the thrill usually circulates the given agenda of bringing stars together in one place. And usually that is where the thrill ends. While it may be preposterous to assert the idea that most singers assembled are past their prime, most of the album’s production doesn’t help steer listeners away from that early assessment. While not an entire failure, Songs 4 Worship: Soul captures some good moments and a few engaging and spirited deliveries, but with Time-Life’s reputable resources and visibility, it’s hard to excuse the quickly-assembled affairs and the lack of musical assertion on this disc.