Reissue of Clark’s 1981 album of gospel and country faith
Roy Clark’s worn a number of hats during his career. He’s been an ace guitar and banjo picker, a national television star (both on Hee-Haw and as a guest host for Johnny Carson), a country and pop hit maker, a pioneer in the Branson theater scene, and a member of both the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lesser known is his work in singing gospel and songs of faith. His 1971 release The Magnificent Sanctuary Band cracked the Top 40, and though he dropped the occasional album track like “Life’s Railway to Heaven†and “Dear God,†it was ten more years before he released a second new album of praise, 1981’s The Last Word in Jesus is Us.
Varese new CD collects all ten tracks of the 1981 album and adds three from the 1971 release. The song list combines traditional hymns (“Just a Closer Walk with Thee,†“Onward Christian Soldiers†and a wonderfully blue reading of “Peace in the Valleyâ€) with contemporary tunes by Nashville songwriters. The sentiments include traditional bible stories, testimonies of faith, and contemplations of Jesus’ place in contemporary society. Bobby Braddock’s “Would They Love Him Down in Shreveport†highlights the un-Christian nature of prejudice and Bobby Goldsboro’s “Come Back Home†anticipates the savior’s deliverance from hate.
The productions have the clean Nashville sound of the 1970s, with the ‘80s only peeking through in the guitar of “Heaven Bound.†The three selections from 1971 are earthier, with “Wait a Little Longer, Please Jesus†adding harmonica, Roy Nichols-styled guitar riffs, and a Western edge. The Jordanaires provide their typically fine backing vocals, augmented by the female voice of Wendy Suits. Eight of the ten album tracks (along with two of the bonuses from 1971) were included on Time-Life’s out-of-print Gospel Songs of the Strength, but this is the first reproduction of the full 1981 release, and a welcome addition to the Roy Clark digital catalog. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com] 