Producer: Guy Penrod
Record Label: Gaither Music Group
Website: www.guypenrod.com
It’s been just over 20 years since Gospel music welcomed Guy Penrod to the national scene. Since Guy’s career with the Gaither Vocal Band began, folks have enjoyed his soaring vocals mixed with a passionate style. Since leaving the Gaither Vocal Band in 2009, Guy Penrod has released a few solo projects, and, in 2017, Guy continues with Classics.
As aptly-titled, the project covers most of Guy Penrod’s well-known songs from the Gaither Vocal Band years. Songs like “Singing with the Saints” and “The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference” helped introduce listeners to Guy’s powerful vocals. However, songs like “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor” and “Loving God, Loving Each Other” offered a more soothing sound. With Classics, Guy revisits these as well as 8 others for a 12-song collection of new recordings of his most popular tunes.
While some “classics” albums attempt to recreate the song musically and lyrically, Guy Penrod uses the original tracks from the Gaither Vocal Band catalog. Recording this way gives the listener an opportunity to remember the songs as they originally heard them. One potential downside to this is that some songs seem pitched out of Guy’s range. For instance, the first ½ of “Loving God, Loving Each Other” uses the same track where a baritone (Mark Lowry) would’ve maintained the lead. But, this has been Guy’s approach with his hymns album & inspirational DVD – singing songs where everyone can sing the melody.
Long-time Guy Penrod/Gaither Vocal Band fans will enjoy the project for its updated vocals. As an avid GVB listener, I’ve always hearing the introduction to songs like “Knowing You’ll Be There”, “Yes I Know”, and “Then Came the Morning” because it conjures memories of one time or another for me. Experiencing these tunes with a different vocal sound (pitch, background vocals, etc.), yet original tracks, keeps the purpose of the song intact. Sometimes the music track needs to be updated for a “classic” song, but, as in this case, Guy Penrod shows that it’s sometimes the lyric that holds the power of the song.
Track Listing:
Count On Me
Jesse Taylor
The Old Rugged Cross Made The Difference
Yes I Know
Because He Lives
Knowing You’ll Be There
Singing With The Saints
I’m Forgiven
Build An Ark
Alpha & Omega
Loving God
Then Came The Morning
