Various Artists – Peace In The Valley: A Country Music Journey Through Gospel / Various Artists – All-time Southern Gospel Hits

From A.P. Carter to Iris DeMent, the history of country music is filled with artists who first raised their voices in song within the walls of some tiny church. In fact, it was through the Southern white gospel traditions of shape-note singing, singing schools, and hymn books such as Sacred Harp that the use of harmony was introduced into what would become country & western music. In fact, gospel musics have been perhaps the most important influences on secular country music throughout its history. And today, whether its at an Alabama all-day recital or an Indiana bluegrass festival, a Missouri Southern gospel concert or the albums of Nashvilles biggest stars, gospels influence still looms large.

The mainstream Nashville acts on Aristas Peace In The Valley honor this source of inspiration though, as the collections subtitle points out, they dont limit themselves just to country gospel. As a result, Lee Roy Parnell (with backing vocals from the Fairfield Four) tears through Son Houses blues classic John The Revelator with overpowering intensity, while new country diva Michelle Wright drags through Curtis Mayfields soul standard People Get Ready with what sounds like no intensity at all.

The remaining 10 cuts continue these hit-and-miss results. Diamond Rio starts things off with a version of the bluegrass gospel classic Walkin In Jerusalem that sounds truly eager for Judgment Day, but Pam Tillis take on the 1800s-hymn-cum-1970s-pop-hit Morning Has Broken sounds like it might sleep straight through arma_geddon. BR5-49 reminds us of Hank Williams gift for writing great country gospel songs with a pleading version of House Of Gold; conversely, Alan Jacksons Were All Gods Children is exactly as bad a song as its opening lines suggest (Here comes a Baptist, here comes a Jew, there goes a Mormon and a Muslim too), despite being written by Bobby Braddock. Rounding things out, Blackhawk, Tammy Graham and, surprisingly, Brooks & Dunn all turn in fine performances, while Steve Wariner, Brett James and, surprisingly, Radney Foster all come off as something less than inspired.

The one sort of gospel you wont find on Peace In The Valley is Southern gospel, an omission thats hardly surprising. While gospel is a neglected piece of the country story, Southern gospel is normally forgotten altogether. Related to but distinct from bluegrass and country gospel, Southern gospel grew from the old hymn book company practice of signing up quartets to travel around demonstrating the songs and arrangements for sale; eventually, many of the quartets became so popular that they broke off on their own.

By the 50s and 60s, wildly spirited quartet contests could draw thousands of fans to Memphis Ellis Auditorium, where Elvis Presley went nuts over quartet legends such as the Blackwood Brothers and the Statesmen.

Finding Southern gospel on CD is rough, so All-Time Southern Gospel Hits is great for anyone curious about this earnest, ebullient sound. The genres biggest names are here the Blackwoods and the Statesmen, plus the Speer Family and the Masters Five, as well as the Stamps, LeFevres and Rebels Quartets. Each demonstrate the genres defining elements in breathtaking fashion: the higher-than-high first tenors, the bone-rattling bass vocals, paces that are alternately breakneck and crawling, pumping pianos, whisper-to-a-scream dynamics, and intricate, soaring harmonies.

The scant liner notes here are irritating to say the least (not so much as a recording date, let alone a group lineup), but the music…oh man, its everything it wants to be. Its glorious.