Various Artists (House of Gospel Anthology) - Reviews

Various Artists
House of Gospel Anthology

The Gospel riches of Light Records are well known, and with the release of their 4-CD set of hit singles over the past four decades, are bound to become even more well known.

Titled the House of Gospel Anthology, the set is divided up among its four separately available discs into past four decades, beginning with the 1970’s. Each decade’s set is given the subtitle “Volume 1”, strongly implying that this will be a continuing series.

It will surprise no-one that the first volume (“The `70s”) features Light seminal artists such as Andrae Crouch (with “Soon and Very Soon”, “I Don’t Know Why”, “Take Me Back”), along with associated artists such as Danniebelle Hall (“Ordinary People”, “I Go To The Rock”). This disc also features the start of the long and storied careers of the various members of the Hawkins family, with inclusions from Tramaine (“Changed”), Walter (“Never Alone”), Lynette (“God Is Standing By”) as well as classics from Love Alive and Edwin Hawkins. Give it up to Light for also including something from The Barrett Sisters (“I’ll Fly Away”).

The Hawkins continued their popularity into the 1980’s, and that decade’s disc in this collection features them prominently, with The Hawkins Family and Tramaine Hawkins with contributions. Also included are songs from Commissioned (“Love Isn’t Love”), Sandra Crouch (“Glorify The Lord”) and several from The Winans and some of the big choirs of the day (New Jersey Mass, LA Mass).

House of Gospel Anthology

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The final two albums, featuring songs from the 90’s and the first decade of this millennium, bring in smashes such as Vickie Winans’ “Long As I Got King Jesus” and James Hall’s “God Is In Control”, along with cuts from Witness, B.Chase Williams, William Becton and Jennifer Holliday. Douglas Miller, Kim McFarland, Youthful Praise, Earl Bynum, RiZen, Shirley Caesar, Bishop Paul S. Morton and several others are also featured.

With liner notes from historian Bill Carpenter, the House of Gospel Anthology is a great primer for anyone wanting to get a glimpse of Gospel’s glory cuts with the esteemed label over the past decades.

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Producers: Various album release date: 2007
Light Records

— reviewed by Stan North —