Taking A Closer Look at Honored Artists

Look at these snippets from our past reviews of Dove award nominees and pick winners based on the recent selections by the Gospel Music Association. We have listed the nominations for each artist or group.
Congratulations to all!

Anointed

Three talented singer-songwriters make up Anointed: Nee-C Walls, Da'dra Crawford Greathouse, and Steve Crawford. Each of their three albums represents a different step in a musical evolution. Their first two albums generated interest from gospel and contemporary Christian fans as well as the R&B camp. Then, with their third, Under the Influence, Anointed shot into the mainstream market, with the single and video "In God's Hands Now." Influenced by a variety of music in Columbus, Ohio, Anointed offers listeners great diversity -- from acoustics to funk-laden tunes. (ACL 2/97)

BeBe & CeCe Winans

Say "BeBe and CeCe" and everybody knows you're talking about the top brother/sister songsters in Christian music. After hits like "Count It All Joy," "Heaven," and their certified platinum disc Different Lifestyles, they have become a staple for listeners. Their newest release, Greatest Hits, combines top-sellers from previous recordings, and also features BeBe's new song and the longest on the CD, "Feels Like Heaven with You." On all, their voices weave back and forth in smooth, easy-swinging, adult contemporary rhythms. (ACL 4/97, 4/95)

Carman

R.I.O.T. is nothing if not fun, an innovative, quirky ride through a variety of musical styles while Carman's lyrics hammer home his messages of gospel truth.
"On my song 'R.I.O.T.,' I [Carman] said, "Tommy [Sims -- co-producer], I want it to sound like a combination of 'Rhythm Nation' and 'Superstition' and I want it to sound industrial with pipes clanging, air hoses and machinery running, like a factory. And it's gotta have some rap feel, yet tinged with a little gospel choir."
It's vintage Carman, mixing showmanship, drama, and a powerful message. (ACL 1/96)


Bryan Duncan

In two decades Duncan has established himself as one of Christian music's most talented vocalists with more than a dozen #1 hits to his credit. The music is different on Blue Skies, moving more toward R&B with an occasional jazz sequence. A core group of musicians played on all the songs, bringing the energy of a live band to the recording. It comes through on several cuts. (ACL 5/97)


Michael W. Smith

Alternating between aggressive pop and gently reworked familiar hymns, I'll Lead You Home is not a record that postures perfection or wallows in spirituality. Instead, Smith has crafted an album that seems to say just a few things:
The album's bookends are "Cry for Love," which opens I'll Lead You Home with a cry for help, and "I'm Waiting for You," which closes it with a declaration of the Lord's faithfulness. (ACL Christmas '95)

Andy Griffith

Evoking images of Sunday morning worship in small, rural churches, Griffith's I Love to Tell the Story is a nostalgia trip as much as a record album. The album features the Mayberry RFD and Matlock television star singing a slew of classic Christian hymns with his warm bear hug of a voice.
"At the ripe age of 69, Mr. Jesus let me become a singer again," [Griffith] says. "I do believe my voice sounds better than when I was young -- maybe it's like old wood and wine, improved with age." (ACL 10/96)

Michael Card

Each [song] captures a pivotal emotion or scene. The accompaniment varies from simple piano on Let the Children Come to dulcimer, guitar, bass, and background vocals on He Sends His Angels. Card also plays the Celtic harp and Irish whistle in what is becoming his trademark sound on When Jesus Was a Boy. The melodies are sharply poetic, some even lilting.
Both stories [in the book of the same title] and songs give evidence to Card's credentials as a student of the Bible, as a crafter of words and music, and as a father. All of us may need to "close our eyes and see." (2/97)

Jars of Clay

Except for the inexplicably long final track, Jars of Clay's Jars of Clay is a sonic and lyric tour de force, an aurally relaxing and invigorating musical river of cascading guitars, synthesizers and strings, harmonies, organ, and percussion on which float songs of power and purpose.
Thrill to the cello and violins and the insistently pulsing acoustic guitars as you contemplate the message of "Flood." "Flood" isn't a musical narrative of Noah's story -- the deluge this time is the guilt and sin we often drown ourselves in even though Christ died to save us from the same. The band calls the song "a desperate plea for help." (ACL 8/96)

Petra

Give a listen to No Doubt. Petra is a changed band. Lyrically, it is as strong as ever. Always a hard-rocking band, Petra's sound now combines the highly evolved melodic metal sound of the rock world's Van Halen with the restless, creative energy of contemporary grunge rock. From the quiet, melodic title track to the rhythmic rock of "More Than a Thousand Words," the drum-driven electric-guitar attack of "Right Place" and the low-down garage band sound of "Think Twice," the lyrics for No Doubt are dead-on. They range from smartly written calls to a tough, muscular Christianity that never sugarcoats the difficulties of living such a life. (ACL 1/96)

Audio Adrenaline

bloom finds Audio Adrenaline's brand of alternative and modern rock progressing beyond the headbanger approach of their earlier efforts. "Our fans have been saying they like our live sound better," says vocalist Mark Stuart, explaining why the band dumped the drum loops, programs, and "all the technical stuff" when recording bloom. Along the way, Audio Adrenaline not only got better at making good, accessible rock 'n' roll -- their message also matured. (ACL 4/96)


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