Music Reviews (by Kim Gentes)
Back in the mid-90's Kim began writing impromptu reviews of church music CDs (worship music) so that people who were looking for CDs would have an opinion from someone who is also a worship leader and is garnering music for local church use. Up to this point, this was rarely something that was done, because church music was revered as sacred and it was thought that any offering of that sacred worship shouldn't be criticised or evaluated. In fact, Kim wasn't as much a critic as he was an evaluator, helping people find what fit their church. He began posting his reviews on line in a email discussion forum, called the Worship List (website). After a while, when he helped launch Worshipmusic.com, he continued that same concept of trying to help other local church worship leaders and musicians find music that might be applicable to their situations. The reviews continued to be a part of that. Worshipmusic.com went on to grow a staff of writers that would add many more reviews to the collection they have, but Kim continued to participate as a key reviewer. This journal logs all the reviews Kim has written on worship music CDs and projects.
Kim's reviews of CD projects of worship music includes independents, label and main stream recordings, but all having to do with worship music.
Entries in vineyard (27)
Miami Vineyard Live (2011)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 3:14PM 
[Don't miss the free download of the song "Holy Spirit Come" at the bottom of this review! Many thanks to Vineyard Music for providing this!]
The last two years have seen a beginning resurgence of stylistic creativity in the "worship music" genre. After 15 years of acoustic guitar based music in light pop/easy listening arrangements, we are beginning to see broadening pallet of music taste, styles and even languages bubbling up in the modern church music offerings.
One of the absolute best albums I have heard in the last couple years is the worship offering called "Miami Vineyard Live". The namesake church featured in this album provided a group of several worship leaders, musicians and songwriters that created a stellar sonic experience while remaining completely worshipful and well-fit within their local church context. Producer Mike O'Brien architects a gracious balance between flourishing artistic style and church-usable arrangements. Finding this balance is no small feat since the album features several worship leaders, and at least 4 different music stylistic ranges. It may seem inconceivable for a single project done in a "live night of worship" format to include songs that are clearly rendered in Latin, black gospel, island and funk stylings- but that is the task that the production team for "Miami Vineyard Live" took on. And they succeed with flying colors.
If merely creating a seamless collage of musical styles wasn't enough, "Miami Vineyard Live" also features a truly bilingual lyrical approach. With lyrics written and sang in both English and Spanish, this album becomes a motif for the many thousands of churches who are reaching out to bilingual communities across America and the world. Again, the album is the real thing- keeping songs sung in two languages authentic, engaging and poignant.
The project begins with the upbeat effervescence of "Holy Spirit Come", a brilliant bi-lingual song inviting Spirit of God to visit the church. It's engaging, uplifting and encouraging to be a part of the larger body of Christ, and this song has both the lyrical and language written to best draw the worshiper to a point of collective worship to God. A great call to worship song! The second song is "Gloria A Dios Solo" (with My Whole Heart) and features a continuation of the call to worship theme, but this time having a directive praise invitation calling everyone "with my whole heart I give you all my praise". Both of these songs feature a wonderful weaving of English and Spanish without sounding like a trite acquiescence to inclusion- no, instead this is a thoughtful and honest group of English and Spanish speaking people who have crafted music that ebbs and flows through both languages. Beautiful!
The third track is a re-envisioned version of Vineyard classic song "Lord Reign in Me", but redone in energetic Latin rhythms and sounds, with some rock overtures. It's a fresh and encouraging revision, which again sways between English and Spanish. I love it! And the track list continues with this same fresh approach. Track five is cry and response gospel song with all the energy of a full on hip swaying, hand clapping celebration. Fused with more rock overtures, "At All Times" is another song that will charge you up as you sing "I'm gonna bless the Lord!"
The mellow sounds of island music become the enlivened style of the Vineyard classic song "If You Say Go". But no sooner have you settled down into island subtle rhythms and you are back on your feet shuffling with the song "Everything to Me" and "Your Name Is Great". Pensive love ballads, rousing gospel call/response songs, and renewed versions of classics "Breathe" and "How Great Is Our God" all find their way in this album, not as obtuse appendages of music experimentation, but as enthralling, worshipful re-envisioning of classics put in proper musical context for the Miami Vineyard worship community.
I absolutely love this album. On a recent day trip my teenage son came with me. For hours we listened to "Miami Vineyard Live", replaying it over and over again. He was so impressed with both the music and its unique approach, he has written the church to find out more about their church, worship and work across bilingual communities in their area. He hopes to even go the the church (though) as an intern at some point to learn from them. All this sparked simply from listening to their music. Yes! It's that engaging, and that encouraging!
If you haven't had a chance to listen to "Miami Vineyard Live", I strongly encourage you to do so! You can listen to online samples of every song at the weblink below. But to do this album justice, make sure to go through all the samples of each song. A great new worship album with fresh ideas, great songs and a wonderful approach to bi-lingual worship. I love it! A full Editor's Choice Award goes to "Miami Vineyard Live." Well done!
Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/xNNKBM
Free Song Download from "Miami Vineyard Live"
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*many thanks to the fine folks at Vineyard Worship for providing this.
Review by Kim Gentes
Folks Like Us - Club Vineyard 73 (2011)
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 10:29PM 
Snap, pop, crackle, flood. Not words that normally go together. But then, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Such was the case for this afternoon. I sat down. Threw in the latest Club CD of new songs releasing from the Vineyard churches. Snap! I’ll dispense with the usual oblique comments meant to accommodate for the fact that the review may have different tastes than the reader/listener, or in fact be wrong. I’ll go on record- this project snaps and crackles the moment you put it on.Track one is Folks Like Us, an unashamed return to the countryfied rock sound. Since I had just listened to some old projects, I actually thought it hit almost dead on with the sound of the 1999 Vineyard project, The Burn Service. It’d be hard to sound more like Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp, unless you got them to sing lead. Great, Americana rock. Lyrics are well-matched with earthy nouns, that paradoxically soar in declaration of God’s greatness towards us, and our need for Him, as His children. Very well done.
Track two and three moves on to the pop in this project. Absolutely a perfect blend of adoration and glorification in the lyrical mixture of the song Furious. Production is clearly meant to match Jeremy Riddle’s pop-ready vocals with Furious (track 3) and The Lord Is My Shepherd (track 4) making the entire album soar with radio-ready listening. These two tracks are spectacular, though track 4 remains arranged out of bounds for most congregations. The songs are truly excellent, though, so don’t miss these. Passionate, singable (in simple form) and engaging. Plus, there is some excellent scripture and theology writing here, especially in The Lord Is My Shepherd, which is a beautiful new rendition of Psalm 23.
The next two tracks, Form Us and Worthy, are songs co-written by Casey Corum and Anabeth Morgan. This is where the flood comes in. These are studio track recordings that are core renditions for easy learning and reproduction in local churches. While there is nothing fancy on the production of these songs, there is nothing lacking here either. Form Us is a pensive, prayerful, surrender song that beautifully calls on God while agreeing with His will, much in the same way that Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6 (Your will be done). Worthy is old fashion rock sounds on one of the core messages of the Book of Revelation- “Worthy are You, Lord”. In a building verse/bridge/chorus sequence this song builds into a powerful exaltation of the worthy Lord.
With track 6 comes my favorite new song of this new album- One Thing Remains. Written by songwriters at Bethel Church, this version is a live recording of the song from a recent Vineyard conference. The production is stripped back to a true live arrangement that works for the conference, local churches and the recording. Building on what is a great musical song, Casey Corum lifts the vocals and energy of the song to a powerful anthem. While this isn't my favorite arrangement of this song, it feels the most accessible for local church use.
After another song by Jeremy Riddle on track six (taken from the Bethel Music “Be Lifted High” album), the next four tracks are from a series of live recordings from the Cultivation Generation conference/event. Pounding anthem, surrender songs that lift up God’s glory, I Am Yours and Your Mercy are clean, straightforward rock, with lots of energy and passion. Again, lyrics and melody are strong.
The album concludes with two songs from David Linhart, a very gifted musician and lyricist. While not a typical “worship” style you might expect, David’s songs are beautiful stories of love, hope and God’s character. I love this mix of grace in a recording collection like this. Linhart’s surprising two-step collage on Straight From the Source has a soothing effect that still has the truth ringing around in my head that “we have true hope straight from the source”. Linhart’s reggae background bubbles to the surface, helped by a story-talking blues style with the final cut God Don’t Never Change. Most folks won’t be playing these last two songs in church, but there is a quality of grace on the songs that encourages the soul. Thank you Vineyard!
The entire album, songs, audio and chord charts are already available for subscribers of the WorshipTeam.com worship planning system.
The Lord Is My Shepherd / Jeremy Riddle - single /Review by Kim Gentes (2011)
Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 9:28PM 
As I have mentioned before, when we do reviews it is normally only for full album projects, not singles. But we must make exception where it is due. And with this new song by Jeremy Riddle, trust me friends- it is due.
The song "The Lord Is My Shepherd" is a new single just releasing from Vineyard Music. I discovered this new song at WorshipTeam.com (which adds all the new music from Vineyard and most other worship publishers as they release). If you aren't a WorshipTeam.com member, you can find the song on Vineyard's site at Vineyard Resources. Let's talk about this new song.
The song is obviously a lyrical reference to Psalm 23, and the chorus relies on this image of God providing for us and bringing us to safe waters to satisfy our souls. The chorus, using this sharpened theme from David's psalm, is melodic, infectious and even rhythmic. Lyrical purists will note the 3rd to 1st person voice change that happens throughout the chorus, though it remains thoroughly first person for the rest of the the song. This is normally a faux pas for songwriting, but it works in a unique way here to reference the classic rendering of the scripture ("The Lord is my Shepherd") giving it an anchor to our tradition, and as an implied voice to call others to notice the provision of God.
The Lord is my Shepherd and I'll want for nothing
You lead me to water for You know I'm thirsting
And I I'm only satisfied
By You by You
Riddle's songwriting here is marvelously in stride with the tension of reality- that we live in the knowledge of God's provision and the need for it to satisfy the very human thirst of our souls.
The music and the lyrics are punctual and poignant, capturing the essence of what it means to both need God in the "pain in my life" and to declared to Him that "You are there". But ultimately, the song returns to rest in God not only providing the provision, but being the provision, as Riddle sings "You are the water for my soul".
I will say it clearly- this is Jeremy Riddle's best song. It is blissful, articulate writing, and wonderful soaring music. Not contrived, the song lives in itself and doesn't try to solve anything beyond the scope of its theme. Perfect.
Likewise, the arrangement and execution by Jeremy is dead on. The music doesn't climb off of the song and overcome it. Some of the previous tracks on Riddle's other albums became so enamored with Jeremy's souring vocals they would run roughshod over songs which had no right being "wall of sound" anthems. That does not happen here. His voice is first and it stays out front. He climbs to some extremely high notes and sings like he means it. This is Vineyard's best radio ready single- ever. If this doesn't climb past the radio popularity of Sweetly Broken, I will be surprised.
That said, I have one problem with the song- it is a great radio single. The notes of his excalamatory aria, especially on the second and third choruses, are brilliant but absolutely remove the song (in this form) from possible congregational use. This single is in the right key for congregational singing (G), but when Riddle explodes into his falsceto, he leaves all hope for this arrangement being used in local churches. Vineyard will need to produce a crisp arrangement for local churches to use this song, perhaps removing the extensive "by You, by You" throw offs that make this a great listening radio single.
Worship leaders, worshipers and musicians- check out this new song. It is excellent!
Available at WorshipTeam.com (for subscribers).
Also available for purchase at Vineyard Resources
The Lord is my shepherd! Yes, Lord!
In Him,
Kim Gentes
jeremy riddle, mp3, music, praise, provision, psalm 23, single, the lord is my shepherd, vineyard, worship in Music Review, Single Song Wonder Working God - Andy Park (2009)
Friday, September 4, 2009 at 12:20AM 
Several months ago I found myself on a driving trip from New Orleans to Mobile, AL then to Nashville. Over eleven hours total in driving prompted me to bring two new worship CDs to review. The first one I put in was Andy Park's "Wonder Working God". I never took it out. Like my trip, the project is a journey of its own going from song to song, sound to sound, culture to culture. Collectively, this project moves through a wide range of rock, acoustic rock, blues-rock, gospel-piqued and even Asian influenced styles.
Right off the top, the track "Our God Reigns" wakes you up with a 60/70s rock story complete with pounding drums, punching bass and big band accents (or ska, depending on your generational persuasion). A great declaration song about the truths of God's character, "Our God Reigns" will become a favorite in any church it is played in.
Many of us know Andy Park as the songwriter of "In The Secret (I Want To Know You)", one of the most popular songs in the church in the last 15 years. But that may soon become the second most popular song in Andy's songwriting repertoire after the church hears the title track on this album. "Wonder Working God" is a brilliant song with scriptural lyrics, compelling music and soaring melodies. In our time of uncertainty in so many areas, "Wonder Working God" is a lifeline of scriptural truth that congregations everywhere will be using to help remind them of the hope God has placed in our lives through His promises. This is a song that will find its way to other artists and be covered on other albums. It's that good.
The great songs don't stop. Other new songs "New Day", "Help Somebody", "Friend of the Poor", "Fleece of White" and "Your Grace is Sufficient" provide an expansive pallet for anyone looking for superbly crafted songwriting with solidly scriptural content. In addition to that, classics such as "How Priceless" (one of my favorite songs ever), "Messiah", "One Thing I Ask" and "Like A Lily" round out the album with crisp arrangements that provide for generous use in the local church.
The production on this album is diverse in style, but constantly understated in execution, which makes it a listening delight. Choosing well between guitar or piano based song arrangements, producer Brian Theissen makes this album about the songs, not about an infinite number of layers of production that take the songs beyond their intended use- the local church.
I wish I could say I remember what the other album was that I intended on listening to for the balance of the eleven hours in the vehicle, but "Wonder Working God" made the entire trip with me through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. And it was a delight! A great album and a gift to the church, it's easy for me to recommend "Wonder Working God" to you as our latest "Editors Choice" selection from WorshipMusic.com.
Product Link (buy it here): Wonder Working God
Serving with you, Kim Gentes
andy park, cd, kim gentes, music, vineyard, wonder working god, worship, worshipmusic.com in CD Review Playlist: Stand In Awe - Jeremy Riddle, Sheri Carr, Jan L'Ecuyer, Steve Jones, Charlie Hines (2007)
Monday, August 20, 2007 at 11:35AM 
Does anyone remember what a worship CD is? The last several years, it seemed like the "Christian Music" industry had missed the point. Endless collections, remixed cover songs and CCM bands trying to detour into worship leading (but quickly moving back to performance model when the "worship thing" dried up) showed a clear misunderstanding of the foundations of what worship and praise was all about.
If you have felt (like me) disappointed by several popular CDs in the last few years, welcome you back to what a worship project should be- "Playlist: Stand In Awe" from Vineyard Music. One of the original vanguards of resourcing the church in worship, Vineyard has stayed true to its roots with great songs, while making continued strides in progressive musical production and sound with its arrangements and musicianship. The essence of a great worship song is its ability to resonate with the heart-cry of the worshiper. The "Stand In Awe" project is a wonderful set of worship songs that resonate clearly with followers of Christ.
From the opening song, Vineyard brings some of its best young voices singing its best new songs, presented with its best studio production values. Normally known for its great live recordings, Vineyard Music has its second studio production (following up from last year's "Sweetly Broken") that marks a new era of excellence for them under producer Casey Corum. Add to Casey's great production some outsanding vocals by Jeremy Riddle, Steve Jones and Charlie Hines and stellar guitar work by veteran Glenn Pearce, the mix on this CD glistens under any audiophile's microscope.
But it all begins with great songs, and this CD is chock full of them! From the infectious layered sounds of "Saving Grace" (with a live orchestra backing! Wow!) to the anthemic offerings "Stand In Awe" and "God of All Glory", to the prayer praises of "As It Is In Heaven" and "Throne of Grace", to the poured out devotional of "With All My Heart", this project has a lot to contribute your local church. Track four, "Christ is Exalted", even includes a beautiful song of Christ's life, appropriate for Christmas worship, or any time of year. No doubt contend that the title track "Stand In Awe" and "God Of All Glory" (both sung by Jeremy Riddle) will garner considerable attention from both churches and radio play alike.
But for this reviewer, all the songs mentioned thus far are supporting cast for one of the best songs presented to the church in the last ten years- "All I Have". This amazing song provides a simple, but infectiously untiring sound track for unashamed worshipers the world ‘round. To date, I have listened to this CD about 35-40 times. And yet, as I drove to work this morning, I still wept as I worshipped along with "All I Have" with the chorus echoing some of these lyrics:
"Jesus, all I have is You,
You're the hope I'm holding to...
As the heavens hold the skies,
It's Your hand that holds my life"
After receiving an advanced copy of this project just weeks ago, our church already has three of these songs in its repertoire ("Throne of Grace", "Stand In Awe" and "All I Have")! But of those songs, none has gripped people more profoundly than my new favorite song "All I Have". I am sure we will see this song redone by other CCM and worship artists, but here is your first chance to hear it and use it in your local church. A truly great offering!
In an era when music purchasers scarcely think it wise to buy an entire CD, Vineyard's new "Playlist: Stand In Awe" project is well worth it. A wise investment, providing both an amazing suite of songs and PDF chord and lyric charts to help local churches put the songs to immediate use.
Product Link Playlist: Stand in Awe / Vineyard Music
Review by Kim Anthony Gentes
cd, christian, glenn pearce, jeremy riddle, playlist, review, sheri carr, sheri keller, stand in awe, steve jones, vineyard, worship in CD Review