Music Review: The Classics by Ray Boltz

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Almost forgotten classics get a new lease on life.

Cons: A couple of the songs don't get flattering new arrangements.

The Bottom Line:

Not all covers good

But most get fun arrangements

For new audience

Covering The Classics

There are several advantages to working at a Christian college. One I love is access to the school's library. While I will admit I often don't care for the academic textbooks, I have been known to look at their CD collection. I've used it to preview several CD's I wasn't sure about. Ray Boltz's The Classics was one such CD, and I liked it enough to get my own copy.

Ray Boltz himself was never a superstar of Christian music. He did, however, have two mega hits in the late 80's. If he isn't a household name, most people have heard his two hits "Thank You" and "Watch the Lamb" in at least one church service in their lives.

For this release, he did nothing but cover other people's songs. This CD was released in 2000, but he dove back into the distant past of Christian music for these classics. There are a few songs from the 80's here, but most of the 11 tracks are from the 70's.

And what a rich musical history lesson this is. We've got songs from such legends as Bill and Gloria, Rich Mullins, Keith Green, and Michael W. Smith as well as faded stars like Don Francisco, Dottie Rambo, and Lawrence Chewning.

The disc starts off with Michael W. Smith's praise chorus "Great is the Lord." Despite a musically dramatic opening, the song itself sounds very similar with the original with some strings, guitar, and piano making up the majority of the music. Of course, he does loose the 80's vibe of the original, which certainly is a plus in my book.

Piano takes center stage of Keith Green's "O Lord, You're Beautiful." This version is just as compelling as the original. And Rich Mullin's classic is spiced up with driving drums. Yes, the drums are even more pronounced here then they were originally. And the song is better for it.

Frankly, there were several obvious and safe bets here. These are songs that are still familiar today, like the ones I've already talked about. What I love about this release is that he chose several songs I love that have been forgotten over the years, even by me. Two such songs close out the disc.

I always forget just how much I love Dottie Rambo's "If That Isn't Love" until I hear it again. This version has it all with fiddle, accordion, piano, guitar, and light drums. It's perfect for reminding us just how much Jesus' actions show his love.

The disc closes with another such classic. While the Gaithers and some of their music are still fairly well known, "The King is Coming" isn't one of their more popular songs today. It starts quietly with just Ray and a piano. But as it describes the day when Jesus returns, the volume rises. It really is a simple song, but it always makes me smile as I remember we are that much closer.

As much as I love this disc, I must mention the misstep. He tries to make several of the songs more dramatic with the introduction of increased drums. While it does work on some songs, there are two songs where it bombs. Ironically, both have to do with Easter. Dallas Holm's classic "Rise Again" almost works with the new arrangement, but Don Francisco's "He's Alive" doesn't work at all. In both cases, they go from being adult contemporary ballads to rock songs. In the case of "Rise Again," it's a rock power ballad, so it won't annoy everyone. But instead of adding extra intensity to "He's Alive" is just annoys me. This is the only track on the disc I regularly skip. And considering how much I love the original version, that's saying something.

The rest of the tracks more then make up for those blunders, however. If you are looking for some fun new versions of classic Christian hits, check out The Classics.

CD Length: 48:42

Tracks:

1. Great is the Lord

2. He's Alive

3. O Lord, You're Beautiful

4. Rise Again

5. I Wouldn't Go Back

6. Awesome God

7. People Need the Lord

8. Through it All

9. We Will Stand

10. If That Isn't Love

11. The King is Coming