Search - Kate Campbell :: Wandering Strange

The Trus Meaning of "Gospel"

Patrice Webb | Georgetown, California USA | 02/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Dictionary defines the word "Gospel" as "something accepted as truth" and the old time Gospel Music had a way of making us believe this truth in a way that was unerringly human. This quality - often lacking in today's watered down contemporary Christian Music - is what has made the old gospel music stand up so well over time and to hear it played in the framework of modern pop/folk arrangements is enough to make even the most cynical of us want to stand up and get saved.With simple arrangements, use of electric guitar, and the feeling that the music is being played "live", Campbell has managed to give these songs a contemporary feel without losing the sense of timelessness that has made these songs so lasting. This sense of timelessness is best illustrated in her version of "There is a Fountain" which, with its ringing guitars, folk/rock rhythms, and soaring harmonies, turns William Cowper's 1771 Hymn into a declaration of redemption. "Come Thou Font" is gently turned into a heartfelt soulful ballad in which every word sounds like a prayer.One of the more pleasant surprises is that Campbell's own compositions stand up rather well to the old standards. "10,000 Lures" with its Pentecostal warning of enticement takes on biblical proportions in describing the Devil's tantalizing charms. In "Bear It Away" Campbell sings a song about four little girls who were killed in a Birmingham church during the Civil Rights Movement and we are reminded of how much of a role this music played in making this movement a reality.Although not blessed with the strongest of voices, it is her ability to take the listener directly into the places where the songs are being sung that makes her music so endearing and heartfelt - the best of Campbell's music has always been in the painting of musical landscapes that have the quality of taking the listener into the heart of where people live. In the making of this CD she causes these songs come alive in a timeless way that is human, heartfelt, and soulful -truly one of the better Gospel Albums of the year for both believers and non-believers alike."

Gospel album of the year?

kenn lippert | pittsburgh, pennsylvania | 02/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think so. Kate Campbell's silky voice has never sounded better, her mastery of various styles never more apparent, and her creativity and insight have never been more brilliant. Her covers of old Baptist hymns invigorate them with a sincere purpose for today. Her originals show the depth of understanding of human experience, and the poignant storytelling style that we who follow Kate have come to expect from her. As a prime example, listen to "The Last Song". You'll be tranported back two thousand years, and hear and feel the players involved like never before.This may be the first Kate Campbell album you buy, but it won't be the last."

Lavek@aol.com

Paul C Chandler | Sylacauga, AL United States | 04/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really needed this cd. A bad week at work, struggles on every side, our first baby arriving in 3 weeks. Needless to say, I had a lot on my mind. The people at (...) might have wondered what I was listening to while I fought back both tears and shouts of joy. The Lord used this CD to lift me up. It helped me to put things back into perspective."