CD Reviews

Author's Website:
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Various Artists - More Than The Music . . . Live: A Story To Tell

Formats: DVD, VHS, Cass and CD
Labels: Total Living Network and M2.0
Video Producer: Cindy Montano
Audio Producers: David Byerly and Dino Elefante
Websites: [url=http://www.morethanthemusic.net]http://www.morethanthemusic.net[/url] and [url=http://www.tln.com]http://www.tln.com[/url]
Song Titles: “More Than The Music,” “I Saw The Light,” “Amazing Grace,” “Angel Band” (on video version only), “May We Never Forget,” “Too Much To Gain To Lose,” “God Will Make A Way” (on video version only), “Another Soldier’s Coming Home,” “Worship Medley,” “Sweet Glow Of Mercy,” “The Way You’ve Shown Me How” (on video version only), “A Story To Tell,” “Creation Medley” (on video version only), “Comedy with Aaron Wilburn” (on video version only), “How Excellent Is Thy Name,” “Blessed Assurance.”

One little complaint first: the CDs and cassettes for More Than The Music . . . Live: A Story To Tell are only 45 minutes in length. That’s ordinarily acceptable for a full price audio product, but in this case, much more material could have been included from the video. (See the song list above.) Buy the DVD or VHS, or you’ll really miss out on what this series is all about.

OK, with that out of the way, there’s really NOTHING else to complain about. This is one of few products that approach the Gaither series in terms of video and audio quality. It’s not a Gaither rip-off, though. The More Than The Music . . . Live series gets behind the songs with sit down interviews on a Tonight Show style set (though not that elaborate). There’s no huge choir, and the singers perform one at a time. It’s essentially a collection of TV shows.

Vestal Goodman and Gary Chapman are the hosts who introduce and interview the musical guests. George Jones, the Martins, Dottie Rambo, Janet Paschal, Johnny Minick, Larnelle Harris, Aaron Wilburn, and Dino (Kartsonakis, not audio producer Dino Elefante) make appearances on this first release. Many of the musical arrangements are spontaneous. Dottie Rambo feeds lines of “Too Much To Gain To Lose” to Chapman as he sings a verse, for example. At another spot where Johnny Minick is singing, Vestal says, “Take it Gary,” to which Chapman replies, “Let him finish and then I’ll take it.”

There’s a satisfying mix of older gospel songs, hymns, and newer tunes. Larnelle Harris performs the title cut for the project, “A Story To Tell,” followed by a medley of classic hymns like “This Is My Father’s World” and “How Great Thou Art.” Dino gives a virtuoso piano performance of “How Excellent Is Thy Name,” then is joined by Goodman and Chapman for “Blessed Assurance.” George Jones sings “Amazing Grace” and a duet with Goodman on “Angel Band.” Aaron Wilburn has an entertaining humor segment, but his interview brings out the background story behind behind one of the songs he wrote for the Goodmans when he was young, “What A Beautiful Day For The Lord To Come Again.” That’s the sort of content that is at the soul of this series.

The video versions of More Than The Music . . .. Live: A Story To Tell include a preview of the upcoming More Than The Music . . . Life Story series. Charlie Daniels hosts and narrates these video histories. This 30 minute preview has an impressive array of photos, video, and interviews. The first two installments will release in September 2002, featuring the Happy Goodmans and the Blackwood Brothers. One key feature is that actors will re-enact key scenes from the past, such as the plane crash that claimed the lives of two Blackwood Brothers members. The rough times for the group members (addictions, depression, group break ups, etc.) are addressed in a frank, honest manner . . . not the rosy, feel good type of history we’ve been accustomed to seeing in this industry.

With both new series, More Than The Music . . .. Live and More Than The Music . . . Life Story, it looks like they have a couple of winners on their hands.

David Bruce Murray