Faves

I really like the Smart Playlist feature in iTunes. It allows you to quickly compile songs from your main music library according to a particular category, for instance genre or year. So, I decided to see what my favorite albums were from specific years. **Disclaimer: I'm sure there were other great albums recorded during these particular years, but this is the Top Ten from my playlist. If you wish to purchase those albums for me, I will accept them with joy.** Here's what I found from the last few years:

2007
Casting Crowns The Altar and the Door
-one of the best albums, lyrically, that I've ever purchased
The Hoppers The Ride
-the best album they've produced for more than a decade
Legacy Five Know So Salvation
-in spite of the fact that this is a cover project, this album is second only to their "Live in Music City" in my opinion; the best table album of the year
Crossway A Beautiful Thing
-the guys took a jump to a whole new level with this recording; their pop-country approach works
Brian Free & Assurance Real Faith
-not quite as good as last year's "It's So Good", but still a great recording lyrically and vocally
tobyMac Portable Sounds
-one of the few Christian rock artists that consistently produces top-tier recordings; I can't stop singing "Made to Love"
The Isaacs Big Sky
-The Isaacs have one of the best bands in the biz; it's nice to see them branch out a little bit musically; after seeing them live, they're one of my favorites right now
The Perrys Look No Further
-I don't think the Perrys are capable of putting out a mediocre album; they have an uncanny knack for adroitly picking the right song for the right voice that few SG groups seem to possess
Rascal Flatts Still Feels Good
-I'm a fan
Kingdom Heirs True to the Call
-Straight-ahead Southern Gospel done the right way

2006
The Perrys Come Thirsty
-My favorite project of 2006; I like every song on this album, especially "He Will Hide Me" and "Come Thirsty"
Legacy Five Live in Music City
-My favorite Legacy Five album; "Strike Up the Band", "Peace", and "My, My, My" are favorites; they were on top of their game that night; of course, this was Roger's last album so there is a sentimental attachment
Brian Free & Assurance It's So God
-I've been a fan of BFA from the beginning and I can honestly say that they've never done anything in the realm of this recording; Lori is going to tell me that I should have put this at the top; it was the only CD we listened to in the car for about 5 months; unreleased songs "It's All About the Blood" and "When the Lord Says Go" are a couple of my faves
Gold City Revival
-on a normal year, this album would top my list, but 2006 was the year for incredible albums (reminds me of 1986; go back and look how many great recording were released that year); anyway, Revival is my favorite Gold City album since "Preparing the Way"; Daniel Riley tears up"Aint' That What It's All About" and "Truth Is Marching On"; then you throw in the great lyrics of "Preach the Word" along with the classic "I'm Rich" and you have yourself a great project; Aaron McCune has a stellar debut as the GC bass
Audio Adrenaline Adios: The Greatest Hits
-I wish that I had listened to these guys early on; they don't fit the profile of most bands I enjoy, so I pretty much ignored their music; their music is, well, it's just fun; while they don't have the deepest lyrics I found them to be very entertaining
Gaither Vocal Band Give It Away
-Wes Hampton's debut recording took awhile, but eventually became one of my favorites (Abby, you win); the more I listen to Wes, the more I like his smooth voice, especially on "I Will Go On"; the slow ballads are all winners on yet another great GVB release
Phillips, Craig, and Dean Top of My Lungs
-These guys will always be in my Top Ten groups. I know that when I buy their CD I'm getting my money's worth; this album was a little bit edgier, heavier guitars and more driving beats; "Your Name", "Saved the Day", and "Amazed" are all incredible worship songs; God has used PCD more than any other group across the years to speak to my heart through their passionate, authentic songs of praise and testimony
Booth Brothers Harmony
-the best table project from anyone up to this point; I like this better than any label album; Jim Brady's version of "Home" is worth the price of the album
David Crowder Band B Collision
-This was the first album I picked up by these guys and I was immediately hooked; they have this eclectic bluegrass-fused-with-rock vibe, sort of like Little Roy Lewis meets Sonic Flood; I like David's odd-sounding crooning; I've never enjoyed banjo so much
Josh Turner Your Man
-I finally jumped on the bandwagon; actually, it's his songs that I like so well; he definitely has his own niche in the country market

2005
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir I'm Amazed...Live
-this CD features some incredible songs of testimony and praise; Jason Crabb's version of "I'm Amazed" is a standout; my favorite recording from 2005; this is the CD to listen to during your devotional time
Collingsworth Family God Is Faithful
-arguably the Collingsworth's best recording to date; not a bad song on the album; "God Is Faithful" would be on my list of all-time favorite songs, what a message; Kim's interpretation of "How Great Thou Art" is another highlight
Bart Millard Hymned No. 1
-MercyMe's front man goes for an earthy, country feel on this recording; it definitely works; I'm hoping No. 2 comes out shortly
Booth Brothers The Blind Man Saw It All
-while the Booth Brothers had several solid releases, this project took them to the front of the class; I'm not an emotional type of guy, but when I heard "Yesterday's Battles" for the first time I couldn't stop the tears; I listened to this CD about 30 times or more before I finally moved on to something else; I kept coming back, too
FFH Voice from Home
-another classic release from one of my favorite CCM groups; I like the album's theme, God speaking to his child
Il Divo Il Divo
-Wow! That's all I have to say...wow!
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
-"If This Is What God Wants" and "Forgiven Again" are my faves off this solid project
Sugarland Twice the Speed of Life
-I really like this group; the lead vocals are distinctive and sung with country attitude
Third Day Wherever You Are
-one of my favorite Christian rock bands brings it on another classic release
Tree63 The Answer to the Question
-I heard the title song on the radio and drove straight to the bookstore and bought the album; their version of "Blessed Be Your Name" is the best I've heard so far; "I Stand for You" is another great song of testimony

Me and My Girl

I'm trying to figure out if my left eye is always that large or if it's the distortion from my lens. You'll notice Kassady is in her dress-up clothes again. I do believe she wears her princess garb more than her real clothes. We definitely saved money last year. She is destined to be in one of those cheesy outdoor pavilion shows at Disneyworld. As you can see, I set the bar high for my kids.

Asleep

They get along so well while sleeping...

Kassady Kandids

Yeah, I now know what that phrase "2 going on 16" is all about. Miss Hot Stuff.

Cheesin'

All of a sudden, Kass has taken an interest in puzzles. She has done all of Trey's 24 piece puzzles, with no help I might add, and is begging for a bigger one. She wanted to make sure that I took a picture of her and all her handiwork.

Idol Chat

Amidst all the wannabe American Idol judge blathering that abounds in the blogosphere, let me add my two cents worth:

• The winner of this year's competition will come from the guys. They consistently bring it every night.
• I'm glad they pulled out the Beatle's songbook last night. I forgot how many great songs Paul and John have written.
• I want to offer my thanks to America for finally getting Danny Noriega off the stage. He had a great voice, but I couldn't stand his constant posturing.
• Last night Chikezie rocked the house. Who knew? That was a great rendition of "She's a Woman". It was a little schizophrenic, but what else do you expect when a Nigerian tries his hand at bluegrass. My favorite of the night.
• I'm finding myself liking Jason Castro, in spite of his dreads. I enjoyed his performance last night.
• David Cook is a great rocker. He hasn't had a bad song yet. He's my runner-up at this point.
• Carly and Brooke both did a good job last night. Carly kind of reminded me of Bonnie Raitt in her take on "Come Together". Brooke sang one of my favorite McCartney songs, "Let It Be". A little bit pitchy, but nice. I predict that they will be the last women standing.
• Amanda Overmyer may be the only woman who can beat up Chuck Norris. She's a little scary. From Mulberry, IN. Who would have thought it?
• I, like half of America, can't help rooting for David Archuleta. While up to this point he's been the most consistent, last night was awful. He's only going to survive this week's cut based on his performances up till now.

Everything else was awful or forgettable at best. This is a pretty good season, though. Definitely entertaining.

My Pro

Last night's closing ceremonies at Karcher Nazarene capped Trey's first basketball season. Lori, Kassady, and I cheered him on as he enjoyed the evening's festivities. Since this was his first time to play basketball, we enrolled him in the Upward basketball league. He loved it! I had tried to teach Trey the basics, but we don't have a goal at home and the basketball goal at the church is 10 feet. So, though he could occasionally heave in a shot, it wasn't the easiest goal to practice on. He started practicing with his team in January and he gave it all he had. I'm so proud of that boy! He finished up being one of the best players on his team. Last night, his coach told me that out of all the kids on his team, Trey improved the most. He now has a good shot, plays great defense, and has learned how to move without the ball. Not bad for a 6-year-old. A parent from the opposing team congratulated me on his defensive prowess and aggressive (in a good way) play. He said that he and his wife were impressed with how Trey had improved.

I was able to get to only two of his games. Unfortunately, they were on Saturday mornings, so I didn't get to all of them. I did make it to most of his practices, though, and watched Trey work to improve his game. He doesn't let failure get him down. He just works harder. For those of you who don't know Trey's personality that well, he's obsessed with the mental and statistical part of the game. He watched game after game on TV (pro and college) trying to figure out how the guys played defense, how they rebounded, and how they moved without the ball. We were watching a pro game last week between the Suns and the Lakers (I think it was the Lakers) and someone made a great defensive play to strip Amare Stoudamire of the ball. Trey turned to me and said, "that's what I'm going to do on Saturday." Lori said he got over 12 steals, all without fouling. He's begging me to get a basketball goal at our house. We'll see what happens.

Trey with a couple of his buds (Noah and Tyler) from church who played in the same league.

Trey and Coach Kevin

Trey waits for some action on the court.

Announcement of the starting lineups prior to the game.

Another picture out of the archives

And, I found an even earlier photo of Royce preparing for his future in Southern Gospel music.

Open up the archives

I came across some album artwork for 1980's über-group, New Creation. Come to find out Liberty's very own Royce Mitchell was the frontman for this iconic CCM sensation. I think Royce still has those jeans.

An apology, kind of

OK, so it's been a while since I've posted anything original. I'll try to make up for it.

Natural Survival

I'm not one to get all excited about wildlife, but this video is amazing. Lion vs. buffalo vs. crocodile. It's definitely worth watching. You'll be cheering by the time it's over. Thanks for the recommendation, Ellen.

Classic Cathedrals Clip

I love hearing Gerald Wolfe sing "Land of Living". By the way, Gerald is nominated for male vocalist of the year in this year's Dove Awards. Thanks, Dean, for posting this.

Presidential Moves

Oddly enough, this reminds me of Doran.

Billboards

Traveling down the road, we run into some weird billboards:








**Actually, all credit goes to Dan for forwarding these to me.

AI

I am not a huge fan of TV shows. I enjoy ESPN and Fox News and that's about it. Ever since "Everybody Loves Raymond" went off the air, there's not much good available. I just don't spend a lot of time channel surfing trying to navigate through the junk that's on TV. However, there is one show that I will watch somewhat faithfully and it kicks off this time of year: American Idol. I admit it, I actually enjoy the competition (if you can call it that). I pick my favorites early-on and tune in to see how they do. I cheered on Melinda Doolittle last year (and by the way she was, hands-down, the best in the competition) and Taylor Hicks the year before that. This is my third year to watch the show. I didn't have a chance to watch the 12 women last night, but I did get a chance to catch the 12 guys on Tuesday. There are some great voices. So far, I'm really liking David Archuleta. He's hilarious in addition to having a voice much bigger than his 17 years.

There is a weird trend among some of the top 12 guys, though. A few of them are projecting a strange gay vibe in their interviews, attire, and performance. Not cool. I haven't noticed this in the last few years. Bring back Daughtry.

All Shook Up

Well, things have been shaking out here in the west. Literally. This morning about 7:16 AM an earthquake shook things up near Wells, NV about 265 miles from us. It measured about 6.0 on the Richter scale. I hear that some of my friends in the Twin Falls area (about 110 miles from us) had stuff falling off the walls and such. At 7:16 AM I was still laying on my Tempur-pedic mattress and didn't feel a thing. Those Tempur-pedic commercials must be factual.

To recap...

It's been a while since I've posted, so in no particular order are a few observations and comments:

• The IU and Purdue college basketbally rivalry is back. Last night's game had that same intensity that the late-80's and early-90's contests featured. And, yes, we won. Thank you D.J. White.
• Why is Mike Huckabee still running? I don't get it. Are people still sending money his way? Note to Mike: it's over. I still wonder what would have happened with a Huckabee nomination.
• Has anyone else noticed that Hillary's slide began around the same time Bill started taking over the campaign with his magnetic personality? Side-note: magnets do erase hard drives. I'd like to hear the conversations that are going on in the Clinton living quarters. "Bill, I'm going to ask you to campaign for me in North Dakota."
• After dissing on the Dove Awards and their egregious Southern Gospel awarding, they go and get it right. This is the first time in a long time that I have agreed with most of their nominations. Go figure. For a full list of nominations, visit the Dove Awards website.
• The Hoppers CD, The Ride, is becoming one of my favorite CDs released in 2007. After their exiled time in the Spring Hill caverns, they have once again taken ownership of their productions. The overall lyrical strength of the album is above and beyond anything produced in their Spring Hill days. They also have produced a companion live DVD entitled The Ride: Live in Wilmington (I think; I left it on the bus). This video is the first Southern Gospel production that rivals the Gaither Homecoming series in the camera quality, lighting, etc. They're baaaaack!
• I'm really enjoying a Christmas present from Lori: An Inconvenient Book by Glenn Beck. It's a very easy read, but in the midst of the humor and ADD moments expected from Beck you're going to be educated on the global warming fallacy, the danger of radical Islam fundamentalism, and the emptiness offered by today's gargantuan pornographic industry. That's just an overview of the chapters I've read so far. Go buy it!
• What change is Obama talking about? He's been really abstract so far.
• Just saw The Jumper. It's OK, nothing more. Plot is pretty weak. I was a little disappointed. After the Bourne series, I expected more of the same. Not so.
• Liberty had a fantastic weekend. I love Arizona. I now know where I'm going to go in the winter when I'm 55.
• Our new CD, Say It Again, is now out. It's definitely our version of a "table project", but it's a fun listen. We cover "I Can See the Hand", "Ride That Glory Train", and "Temporary Home" among others. One of the most popular (in concert) songs on the recording is "Light at the End of the Darkness". This is an old Imperials song that has a powerful message. It also features a cover of the Mills Brothers "Cab Driver". Actually, Royce re-wrote the lyrics and it's titled "Bus Driver". It's going over big in concert. We've added some "moves". That's a very generous interpretation, especially as it pertains to Doran. The CD also has a song from Doran called "Baritone Whine". The title says it all as Doran try to work up sympathy for his status in the group. Pathetic, really. You can order the CD on our website.
• Guess where I took Lori for Valentine's Day? To the Grace Bible Church OAKS (Older Adult Kids) banquet. Nothing but the best for my wife! Actually, I was asked to emcee the banquet and to sing with our church quartet (consisting of myself, Pastor Dave, Matt Ritchey, Allen Ezell, and pianist Julia Keep). There was a lot of laughter that night. And, Dave and Julia, your attire was just fine! Thanks, Jolene, for inviting us to be part of the banquet. I'm blessed to have such an incredible wife! Lori, I love you!
• Nice try, Jody and Carrie, on hijacking my blog. Ain't gonna happen!
• I'm working on a video page for the Liberty Quartet website with web-guru Jon Plank (erstwhile keyboardist for the now-defunct trio Allegiance). I want to share the crazy stuff that happens behind-the-scenes as we travel around the country. You deserve to know the real Royce Mitchell.
  

That's about it. I hope you've had as much fun as I have the last week and a half.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards as they relate to Christian music are a joke. They are almost to Christian music what Dove Awards are to the Southern Gospel genre. While the phrase "Grammy Award winner" looks good in your publicity packet, it really doesn't mean much. When looking at the Grammy Awards voting process one can quickly understand how some of the winners are selected. I'm pretty sure there aren't many Southern Gospel experts on the Recording Academy roster. So, that's how you end up with some of these winners and nominations which serve only to make one scratch their head. Of course, the resulting amalgamation of Southern, Country, and Bluegrass Gospel will be a little odd. Check out this year's nominations and winner (in orange):

Category 55

Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

• Amazing Grace
  Bill & Gloria Gaither And The Homecoming Friends
  [Gaither Music Group]
  
• Journey Of Joy
  Karen Peck And New River
  [Daywind Records]
  
• Everybody's Brother
  Billy Joe Shaver
  [Compadre Records/Music World Entertainment]
  
• Salt Of The Earth
  Ricky Skaggs & The Whites
  [Skaggs Family Records]
  
• Tell Someone
  Kenny & Amanda Smith Band
  [Rebel Records]
  
• I'll Fly Away: Country Hymns & Songs Of Faith
  Various Artists
  Ed Cash, producer
  [Sparrow Records]
  

Even the CCM categories can look a little odd. Look at the nominations and winner for album of the year:

Category 54

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

• The Altar And The Door
  Casting Crowns
  [Beach Street Records/Reunion Records]
  
• A Deeper Level
  Israel And New Breed
  [Integrity Music]
  
• True Beauty
  Mandisa
  [Sparrow Records]
  
• Stand
  Michael W. Smith
  [Reunion Records]
  
• Portable Sounds
  TobyMac
  [ForeFront Records]

Now, I have 4 of the 5 albums listed here. And, as much as I enjoy Mandisa and Israel & New Breed, their albums aren't anywhere close to Top 5 material. TobyMac and Casting Crowns would be legit nominations, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Smitty has become the Bill Gaither of CCM, garnering nominations based on reputation rather than the worth of his productions. I wonder what would happen if SG and CCM albums were truly judged by a recording's merit rather than being a forgotten award floating around in the Black Hole of Fields 11-whatever? Just a thought.

If you're an artist or an industry exec and want to make a difference, here are the membership requirements.

Bassman

OK, when is the last time McCain helped out a church praise team? Governor Huckabee does a little plunking on a Southern Gospel classic. Thanks to Daniel at Southern Gospel Blog for the find.

The Little Chair Episode

OK, I can't resist. Let's watch Bobby Knight throw that chair one last time...

Sports

Before the day is done, I have to comment on two sports stories:

1. Congrats to the Giants for knocking off the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Maybe this will shut up all of the New England bandwagon fans. I hate the Patriots. I really do. Now, I'll give them props. They had an incredible season and Tom Brady was the year's best quarterback (and that's hard for a Peyton Manning fan to spit out), but I was so tired of hearing the "greatest ever" term thrown around. Thank you, New York. And, now, would you idiot commentators quit dogging Eli? It made my night. It really did.

2. I just heard this evening that Bobby Knight retired from coaching. Say what you will about the General, there were few better coaches when it came to the fundamentals of the game. He taught his men how to play team ball, a concept that is sadly lacking in today's NCAA game. While Knight's legacy at Indiana is tainted by his inability to control his emotions and his tongue, he will always be the IU coach in my book. And while I didn't always agree with how he expressed his opinions, it was refreshing to have someone who told you what they thought, not some carefully calculated soundbite that might look good in a newspaper column. I'm going to miss seeing him stalk the sidelines at Tech. Bobby Knight is truly one of the all-time greats.