In the ear of the beholder…
On my way to work this morning, I was listening to the famous Couriers Quartet album “Nothing…but the Gospel Truth”, a classic by any standard of gospel music, and reflected anew on how fresh it must have sounded in its’ day(1963), especially because of their use of a full orchestra on the recording, truly an unusual approach to an album in that day.
While reflecting on that, some thoughts occurred to me, and I thought I’d share them with you today.
Listening to that album now, a lot of its’ distinctiveness is lost in the fact that gospel music has gone through a lot of changes since that album was released. Its’ sounds, though striking for that time, are almost commonplace today…so when I tell people how innovative and different that album was, that impression is lost on my friends whose point of reference is of today, and not 1963.
Those who are younger and haven’t the ability or inclination to take themselves out of their own historical context and transfer it to another time they may or may not be familiar with can’t be faulted for automatically doing so upon prompts from me. That would be unfair.
But to truly appreciate some of gospel music’s most memorable recordings, the ability to look back in that way is useful, if not absolutely necessary, in truly appreciating it for what it is, and what it had to have been for audiences first hearing it. While the rest of gospel quartet music was content to stay with a piano-based sound, with only the occasional use of a rhythm guitar and bass, here came an album that boldly crossed established musical lines.
Anyone who heard “Nothing…but the Gospel Truth” at the time of its’ release who was a fan of gospel quartet music had to be wondering, “What’s with that music?” The use of a full orchestra, combined with fresh, confident vocal arrangements had to be at least a little unsettling for the regular audiences who bought that kind of product.
Especially from the Couriers, whose image was that of a very straightlaced, evangelically oriented musical group. Certainly the “Holy Joes” of gospel music(as some derisively described them) would not release something so “worldly” in sound and appearance. For the record not only had a commercial, almost “pop” sound to it…the jacket was orange with blue letters…and was released(to the horror of some longtime Courier fans)on a label owned by a movie company(Warner Brothers)…had the Couriers “sold out”?
Happily, the album was merely the same timeless message wrapped in a more contemporary package for the day…a daring move for the Couriers, but one valued and appreciated 43 years later by scores of gospel music fans.
The album was not a huge seller in its’ day, but it remains an important historical signpost in the history of gospel music. And the music on it is very good, too!
So, for those interested in important historic achievements, and great gospel music as well, “Nothing…but the Gospel Truth” is worth looking into and listening to. It’s worth the attempt to travel down memory lane!
Posted on Nov 03, 2006 - 09:42 PM | [0]
Comments |
Southern Gospel Music
|
Permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages
Comments
