Gaither Vocal Band

Greatly Blessed
Gaither Music

Listening to “Greatly Blessed” by the Gaither Vocal Band (GVB) is a lot like scrolling through the stations on your radio. The opening track, “Better Day,” isn’t a cappella, but it has a “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” flavor. There’s a classical diversion when Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” is blended with “You Are My All in All” for a David Phelps feature. If you think the title track sounds like a Gatlin Brothers song, that’s because Larry Gatlin co-wrote “Greatly Blessed, Highly Favored” with Bill Gaither. They also joined forces for a breathy acoustic pop song titled “Clean.”

“When He Blest My Soul” catches your attention right away with a kicking piano intro. The GVB exploits their five-man vocal configuration by adding a seventh to the tonic chords to create a rich vocal texture. Michael English is in excellent form when he solos the second verse, taking the last phrase up, up and away. “Muddy Water” (sung “m-m-m-muh-dy water”) is a fun track that’s sure to get stuck in your brain.

“Greatly Blessed” includes several remakes of slow songs popularized previously by other artists. English empathizes with Gerald Crabb’s “Please Forgive Me,” Phelps is fluent on Don Francisco’s “He’s Alive,” and Wes Hampton closes the CD with a protracted presentation of Kirk Talley’s “He Is Here.” An orchestrated version of Aaron Wilburn and Eddie Crook’s “That Sounds Like Home to Me” steals the show in this category with English, Mark Lowry and Phelps dividing the solos.

What makes the GVB so appealing is the way they excel with arrangements ranging from subtle to complex in a variety of styles.

“Greatly Blessed” delivers everything fans might expect in the form of towering solos, creative arrangements, complicated harmonies and excellent songwriting.