David Phelps - Revelation, CD Review

Feb

2004

David Phelps - Revelation

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Phelps isn’t as new as some think he is. He’s been with the Gaither Vocal Band for over six years now, cranking out five albums with the critically acclaimed Southern Gospel quartet, and he has released two solo albums previous to this album on Spring Hill Music Group. For fans of the Gaither Vocal Band, Revelation probably isn’t going to be your cup of tea. However, fans of his two Spring Hill albums will probably more than enjoy his latest effort. Phelps shows signs of growth as a pop artist on this album, yet not enough to convince us that he is a full-fledged pop star. His debut album (not his Christmas album) was a strong record that showcased mainly Phelps’ unmatched vocals, yet musically felt very outdated. Revelation, while still showcasing David’s amazing vocal ability, raises the bar for big balladry, yet doesn’t do anything new in the pop market. The album boasts a myriad of talented songwriters helping Phelps create a solid effort. Names such as Steve Siler, Cindy Morgan, Nee-C Walls, Dave Clark, Chris Harris, and Regie Hamm show up in the liner notes, proving that the songwriting will be top notch this time around. The album kicks off with the first single, “Arms Open Wide”, a rousing pop number that sets the tone for the rest of the record. Unfortunately, the rest of the album never really lives up to the tone of the first song. “Break Free” sees Phelps trying out R&B and jazz influenced sounds, and while his vocals come off perfect, his tone and sound doesn’t quite fit the genre. “Satisfaction” is a big misstep, with Phelps going into funk-infused pop, and just falls short of truly being a great pop song and sounds as dated as his first record. “Virtuoso” is a catchy dance influenced track, yet doesn’t set Phelps apart from likes of Jonathan Pierce or Avalon, two big voiced artists who are known for dance-flavored pop tunes. “Revelation” is the biggest mistake on the album. While I’m sure it’s a great concert number, it doesn’t quite show the emotion or attitude on CD that it needs to really pull it off. It’s a little too “rock-opera"-ish. Phelps truly shines on the big ballads, as seen in tunes like “Just As I Am”, “God Will Take Care of You” and “Heart of Hearts”. “Perdome Dios (Pardon Me God)” is the highlight of the album, mixing emotion filled lyrics with an amazingly beautiful melody line. It shows the direction that Phelps should be going as a solo artist. Forget the pop. Forget the dance. Forget the R&B. Go with your classical roots, and you could be the next Josh Groban.

Reader Comments

I have only heard With Arms Open Wide. I admire David's voice. I do wish that he would stick with more of a southern Gospel style so we could hear his stuff with all the other southern gospel artists.
But he is absolutely incredible and could be singing any style of music that he chooses. :thumbsup:

Commented by On 03/10/2004

D.P. and Steven,

I didn't rate this CD based on how it compared to other SoGo albums. I based my rating on how it compared to other POP CDs. In that instance, it only got a so-so reaction. If I was comparing it to the average SoGo album, there's no doubt in my mind that this CD would get 4 1/2 or 5 stars, for production ALONE.

Commented by Chris Unthank On 03/10/2004

"If I was comparing it to the average SoGo album, there's no doubt in my mind that this CD would get 4 1/2 or 5 stars, for production ALONE".

So Chris, are you saying that you hold Southern Gospel on a lower standard than a Christain Pop Album? By the way I am not a huge David Phelps fan but I can still hear the quality of his voice and the production quality. That is where I feel you missed the mark on the review. Just on vocal and production alone it deserves higher than 3 and 1/2 stars.

Commented by On 03/10/2004

No. Vocals are NOT enough to give it 3 1/2. I know it's hard to differentiate between two, but vocal ability does NOT make an album. His vocals are what SAVED this album, IMHO. If his vocals hadn't been so good, the rating would have been even lower.

BTW, yes, I hold SG albums to a much lower standard than pop albums. The fact is, SG doesn't have near the quality of production value that other genres of music do. There are those who strive and do reach that level in SG, but they are few and far between.

Commented by Chris Unthank On 03/10/2004

Of course Chris holds christian contemporary albums to a higher standard than Southern Gospel albums. It's like comparing apples and oranges. With very few exceptions, southern gospel music is still a "family" industry. Meaning that even the largest southern gospel record labels are quite small when compared to Contemp. labels. Because of their size and financial resources, christian labels are able to spend exponentially larger sums of money on production, marketing, and distribution. Many southern gospel albums are still self-financed by the groups themselves! There is no way that they could compete with the production capabilities of a major label like Word. ( the label of Phelp's latest release)

Commented by On 03/10/2004

Scooter. Thank you. You said it in many more words than I was capable of spelling out...

Commented by Chris Unthank On 03/10/2004

David is my favorite tenor singer in the whole world but, I absolutly do not like his new style at all. I agree that he is not a "pop singer"

Commented by On 03/12/2004

One thing I'll say that I'm sure Warner/Word/Curb all want to hear is all this talk generated enough interest in me to purchase the CD. I found the project "interesting" to listen to. I'm convinced the song "Revelation" would absolutely blow me out of my seat in concert. I can easily imagine it.

Commented by OneWayBaritone On 03/12/2004

Quote:

< regardless to what style you put David in you will always have to say that with that measuring stick David Phelps has no one biting at his heals.... What I mean is... There are no other tenors lead singers and or baritones in Southern Gospel that would want to go toe to toe in a vocal contest that is for sure!> Unquote

While I agree that there possibly aren't many tenors who would want to go toe to toe with David, I believe that there are a few who could if forced to. One person that comes to my mind is Larry Ford. He too has a phenomonal voice with the ability to move an audience. I am going to buy this CD also so I can see what all of this debate is about.

Blessings,

Monty

Commented by On 03/15/2004

I was surprised to see the David Phelps CD in the Southern Gospel section at my local Lifeway store. Of course he has SG ties being in the GVB, but it is definately a pop project as Chris said on his "Mar 10, 04 | 2:31 pm" post.

Commented by On 03/16/2004

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