Published on Nov 28, 2000
I’ve never been a fan of Randy Travis’ kind of country music —
or of his deep-registered voice. I like my country music a bit more
pop-flavored and my male singers with more of a tenor, soulful,
sound. But, that said, Travis’ foray into inspirational music is
still a pleasing listen.
A highlight is the song “Baptism,” written by Mickey Cates. It
captures the reality of a young boys’ baptism experience and
creates a comforting, warm, almost-like-being-there type of feeling
while listening.
“Then it was down with the old man Up with the new Raised to
walk in the ways of light and truth I didn’t see no angels Just a
few saints on the shore But I felt like a newborn baby Cradled up
in the arms of the Lord”
Travis doesn’t fall into the trap of treating religion as
something you can only hold with white kid gloves. He includes
several up-tempo songs along with the more traditional slower
paced, reflective, songs.
Among the better of these is the Ron Block song, “Which Way Will
You Choose,” which presents the listener with making the choice
between following Jesus — or following Satan in the post-Rapture
world popularized through the
Left Behind series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry
Jenkins. It presents the classic “all or nothing” of the choice in
a very forthright manner.
Country music has long been known for “story songs” and here
Travis gives his listeners one of the best in “Drive Another Nail,”
the story of a non-Christian carpenter who’s retiring and doesn’t
want to “drive another nail.” But he realizes, at an Easter Sunday
service, that his sin was responsible for driving the nails into
Jesus Christ’s hands when he was crucified.
Not every song is a winner on this project. “See Myself In You”
has a rather obscure meaning and the connection to an album of
inspirational music is not immediately clear. “Feet On The Rock”
starts off with a hokey spoken word intro and then segues into a
little rock and roll shuffle that never really makes a mark. “Don’t
Ever Sell Your Saddle” is pure cornball and platitudes from a
Western point of view.
Still, the disc is a largely pleasant experience and “The
Carpenter,” recorded with Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, is a
true vocal treat. When Travis starts in on “Amazing Grace,” you can
almost picture him out on the prairie with nothing but an old,
worn, guitar and the wide, wide sky.
It’s a beautiful moment.