The Anchormen have always been a quality group in the Southern Gospel genre. Much like groups like the Dixie Melody Boys or Palmetto State Quartet, the Anchormen has often been a launching pad for many a great singer. Many names have come through the Anchormen ranks - such as Steve Ladd, Jeff Chapman, David Hester, David Sutton, and Aaron McCune (to name just a few).
Foundations is the latest release from the popular quartet. The disc was produced by Wesley Pritchard at MillWest Studios in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The disk features 10 classic Southern Gospel songs and hymns - ranging from tracks like "How Great Thou Art," "Had It Not Been," "The Old Rugged Cross," and "Glory Road."
The Anchormen do a fine job on this release - album highlights include "The Lifeboat," "Had It Not Been," and "There Is a River." There is a bit of oversinging going on - too much deviation from the melody - specifically noted on "How Great Thou Art" and "He Made a Change." The guys also struggle a bit on their unison lines on "How Great Thou Art." Also, "The Old Rugged Cross" feels a bit out of the range for the bass singer on his solo lines.
The album loses a bit of appeal with the use of canned strings and horns. The project probably would have sounded much stronger with just a 4 or 5 piece band. Overall, Foundations is a nice project from one of Southern Gospel's favorite quartets.
Author: Chris D. Unthank
| Author's Website: http://southernspin.com
Written: 07/02/2009
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Category: CD Reviews
Comments: 1
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I have heard this line-up live and have this recording. They can definitely out-sing this recording live, but I have to agree with most of the critique and notes on each song. This seems to be a budget project and hope it was on a conservative budget. I hope these guys are in the studio working on some original material.
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