Porter Wagoner With The Blackwood Brothers "Grand Old Gospel" (RCA, 1965)

Porter Wagoner With The Blackwood Brothers "More Grand Old Gospel" (RCA, 1967)
Nice... if ya go for the whole Jesus thing. Sometimes Porter's hillbilly charm gets lost amid the solid, barbershopping style of these pioneering Southern Gospel idols, but he generally manages to make his presence known -- a corny recitation here, a tasty pedal steel there -- and the Blackwoods do grow on you after a while. Of course, we'll just have to leave aside the fact that there are five of them pictured on the cover alongside Porter, and the group is supposed to be a quartet... Other than that, this is a mighty fine country gospel album.

Porter Wagoner With The Blackwood Brothers "In Gospel Country" (RCA, 1969) *

Porter Wagoner "When I Sing For Him" (Murray Hill, 1982)

Billy Walker "How Big Is God?" (Monument, 1969)

Billy Walker "Precious Memories" (Tall Texan, 1987)

Billy Walker "Larger Than Life" (Tall Texan, 1995)

Billy Walker "Back On The Mountain Again" (Tall Texan, 1999)

Charlie Walker "He Is My Everything" (Epic, 1969)

Clay Walker "A Few Questions" (RCA, 2003)

Doc Watson "On Praying Ground" (Sugar Hill, 1990)

Gene Watson "The Gospel Side Of Gene Watson" (Compendia, 2004)

Kitty Wells "Dust On The Bible" (Decca, 1959)

Kitty Wells "Singing On Sunday" (Decca, 1962)

Kitty Wells "Gospel Sing" (Decca, 1965)

Kitty Wells & Johnnie Wright "Heartwarming Gospel Songs" (Decca, 1972)

Dottie West "Sacred Ballads" (RCA Victor, 1967)

Slim Whitman "I'll Walk With God" (Imperial, 1960)

Slim Whitman "God's Hand In Mine" (Imperial, 1966)

Slim Whitman "How Great Thou Art" (K-Tel, 1993)

The Wilburn Brothers "Livin' In God's Country" (Decca, 1960)

The Wilburn Brothers "Take Up Thy Cross" (Decca, 1964)

Hank Williams "Luke The Drifter" (MGM, 1953)

Hank Williams "I Saw The Light" (MGM, 1953)

Hank Williams "Waiting For The Light To Shine" (MGM, 1960)

Hank Williams "Home In Heaven" (MGM, 1975)

Hank Williams, Jr. "Sunday Morning" (MGM, 1969)

Jeanette Williams Band "Get In The Boat" (Bell Buckle, 2003)
A nice, heartfelt bluegrass gospel album. May be too Jesus-y for more secular-minded 'grass fans, but there are several nice slow numbers that stand out, particularly "When The Harvest Has Come" and "Come Morning," which both have an old-fashioned brush arbor feel to them.

Paul Williams & The Victory Trio "Old Ways & Old Paths" (Rebel, 1999)
Another fine, fine bluegrass gospel offering by this soulful old-timer. I think what I like best about this album is ho understated it is: the picking isn't flashy, and the harmonies are just as sweet as they need to be, not a bit more. Williams and his band really know how to deliver their message and then just get out of the way. If you like the picking on the old Bluegrass Album Band records, this'll be a real treat as well.

Paul Williams & Cliff Waldron "Higher Ground" (Rebel, 2001)
Like Williams, bluegrass revivalist Cliff Waldron abandoned the secular stage after he got religion, and later came back to the music, although as a way to spread the holy word. This is a nice pairing, with a somewhat delicate brush-arbor feel to it. Williams tends to goose things up a bit with his band, and it does feel like he's holding back a bit here... Still, if you like truegrass gospel, this is another fine album from the Williams camp. Worth checking out.

Paul Williams "Hard Working Pilgrim" (Rebel, 2001)
Gospel picker Paul Williams consistently blows my mind with pretty much every album he puts out. Sure, maybe the Jesus stuff isn't for everyone, but nobody has better, higher, twangier vocal harmonies than Williams and his pals, and the picking is always first rate as well, particularly his mandolin work. As always, this record rocks from start to finish... If you want some sweet sounding, authentic bluegrass, then this album should fit the bill. Recommended!

Paul Williams & The Victory Trio "I'll Meet You In Gloryland" (Rebel, 2002)
Another fine bluegrass gospel album by this veteran picker... This isn't the most electrifying of his albums, but it's still rock-solid truegrass. Why his band is called the Victory Trio when there are at least four of them is outside of my range of expertise, though. You'll have to ask Williams that one yourself...

Paul Williams & The Victory Trio "Living On The Hallelujah Side" (Rebel, 2003)
I'd have to say that this album has less to offer the secular bluegrass fan than other Williams efforts -- somehow the religious message seems more forceful and the music less of a balance than on his earlier albums. These guys are still a class act, with swell harmonies and sweet picking, but I think this disc may be more for true believers. I also have to take exception to Paul Humphrey's patriotic anthem, "Liberty And Justice For All," which posits that "strong faith in God" is one of the things our country was founded on, and that anyone who doesn't share William's faith is a traitor who should leave the country. Actually, my mom was an American historian, who specialized in the separation of Church and State, and I can tell you without fear of contradiction that freedom from religious persecution -- including freedom from State-sponsored religion -- was a key part of the founding of the U.S. of A, not the other way around. Characterizing those who "won't uphold God's values" (whatever that means) as "freedom thieves" and "God haters" is corrosive, ill-reasoned, unfair, and deeply, deeply offensive. Yeah, sure, the song is clever and catchy, but it's also destructive and divisive, and the exact opposite of the "love thy neighbor" message in the song's first verse. I like Williams's music and respect both his beliefs and his band, but I truly think he should be ashamed for recording such an arrogant and hate-filled tune. Oh, well. We all make mistakes.

Tammy Wynette "Inspirations" (Epic, 1969)

Tammy Wynette & George Jones "We Love To Sing About Jesus" (Epic, 1972)

Hick Music Index