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Legacy Five - Monuments

Label:   Daywind
Producers:   Roger Bennett, Scott Fowler and Wayne Haun
Website: www.legacyfive.com

Monuments is the latest project from Legacy Five, a quartet that plays up its ties to the legendary Cathedral Quartet. It is also the first project featuring new tenor Frank Seamans.

“Consider The Cross” is an unusual choice to start the project, in my opinion. Baritone Scott Howard does a very nice job with the verses and I like the song, but it doesn't feel like a lead off song. One of the two songs that Roger Bennett contributes is next. Bennett sings the verses on “Out Of My Darkness,” which he was inspired to write as a result of his recent bone marrow transplant experience. He told the story at the 2004 National Quartet Convention that he originally wrote this song as a ballad, but decided to give it a Happy Goodman mid-tempo feel. The tempo works well, but the song could have worked even better if Roger had let Scott Howard sing the solos on the verses.

“Roll Away” is a straight southern gospel quartet song that features Scott Fowler on the verses and good quartet harmony on the chorus. Both Fowler and Frank Seamans take a verse on “Unless.” This song is one of the strongest lyrically on the project.

Bennett is again the featured vocalist on Phil Cross' up-tempo “It's The Truth.” I actually think this song fits Roger well and enjoyed his performance. The song loses a little bit when Seamans takes the lead on the last chorus. “Calvary Reminds Me” is Seaman's first feature on the project and is a fine song, but there is nothing outstanding about the performance or the song.

Bev Lowry and Marty Funderburk contribute the laid-back number titled “If It Couldn't Be Done” that has a gospel jazz feel. Frank Seamans is again featured on “Not That You Died,” which is a traditional ballad.

“Whosoever” is an up-tempo song that features each vocal part on a line or two, similar to “I Found Grace” on the Legacy Five's previous project, but without the intensity. The title song, “Monuments,” has the feel of a big song, similar to the Hopper's “Jerusalem,” based on the orchestration. This song is the first one on the project that the City of Prague Philharmonic's work is noticeable.

Glenn Dustin turns in a good performance on “Raised To Walk,” which is another up-tempo number. Roger Bennett is again featured on his other contribution, “Whispers In The Night.” This song is a testimony of his personal struggles with depression through his health problems. He turns in a solid performance and the song is a good way to end the project.

In closing, I believe this song has some very strong songs lyrically and the harmony is very good but I feel it is a notch below the London project. Honestly, I'm not yet sold on tenor Frank Seamans. I realize that he has only been with the group since June and that this project was well under way by that time, but I was not terribly impressed by his solos on this project. Maybe on the next project they can pick songs with his voice in mind and the results will be different. Still, this is a good project that anyone will be glad to own because of the strong lyrical content of the songs and the smooth harmony produced by the group voted as the Singing News Fan Awards 2004 Favorite Male Quartet.

Reader Comments

   (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 11/02/2004

One correction. The last paragraph should read, "In closing, I believe this PROJECT has some very strong songs lyrically..."

Scot Eaves

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   (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 11/02/2004

At least I am not the only one who goofs up! LOL!

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   (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 11/04/2004

Nice review Scot. I agree with your perception, I'm still waiting for Legacy 5 to blow me away with a CD.

Deon Unthank
SoGospelNews.com
My Blog

Some people are like Slinkys…  Not really good for anything, but they
still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs -  Author Unknown

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   (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ~ 11/05/2004

Scot, I do agree with your assessment of this recording. And like you and Deon, I too am waiting for L5 to absolutely blow me away with a recording. The closest they came was with "Heroes of the Faith." I'll never forget the power they started out with on the song "Freedom", and for the most part, kept that energy going throughout most of the recording.

I know L5 can do it, they just haven't done it yet.

I do agree, they started this recording on an awkward note with "Consider the Cross." I think if they had switched that with "Out of my Darkness", it would have worked much better.

I too am not completely sold on Seamans. Good tenor, to say the least. Just not sure yet of an opinion.

Good CD to say the least...and 4 stars is quite appropriate, I think.

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   Alan Kendall ~ 12/03/2004

Listening to this recording, I was pleasantly surprised. While it is not a "grab onto your seat" kind of album and there are a couple of hit-or-miss song selections, it is actually a very nice recording.

I must beg to differ on Frank Seamans. He has definitely moved the group a step up vocally and given them a new excitement from that aspect. I think he brings a sound very similar to Ronnie Booth Sr(Rebels and original Booth Brother). It's apparent that the tenor features were selected with Tony Jarman in mind, yet Seamans is a better tenor singer than Jarman anyway. A similar situation applied to the Dove Brothers when they re-released You Can't Stop God From Blessing Me with Jerry Martin's vocals.

4 Stars is a good rating for this album.

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