David Phelps - Life Is A Church, ReviewsCD Review

Oct

2005

David Phelps - Life Is A Church

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Label: Word/Curb/Warner Bros.
Producer: Greg Bieck
Websites: http://www.davidphelps.com and http://www.wordrecords.com
Song Titles: "With His Love (Sing Holy)," "Something's Gotta Change," "Life Is A Church," "That's What Love Is," "Behold The Lamb," "Long Time Coming," "Gentle Savior," "Visions Of God," "Power," "The Name Lives On," and "Legacy Of Love"

Tenor extraordinaire David Phelps has a new solo recording out titled Life Is A Church. I rate this CD high for production quality, and the songwriting impressed me as well. Phelps wrote or co-wrote seven of the eleven tracks with well known artists Kyle Matthews and Cindy Morgan assisting him in contributing new material.

I'll cover the aspects of this recording some fans may consider to be drawbacks first and get those out of the way. Phelps' subtle and expressive qualities are sometimes buried in a wash of reverb, blended with a choir of background vocals or modified by special audio effects. He doesn't blow the roof off quite as often as you'd expect. Also, if you've come to expect a story song in the vein of "End Of The Beginning" and "Revelation" on every Phelps release, well, you're not going to get one this time. I have no complaints in terms of polish, packaging, or positive entertainment value.

One cover tune is included...Dottie Rambo's classic "Behold The Lamb." It begins with Phelps singing relatively deep in baritone range. A couple of key changes move him up into more familiar territory before the song is over. At the conclusion of the vocal part, there's a soothing string quartet postlude. Stylistic variety abounds. "Long Time Coming" begins with a half sung/half spoken vocal sounding just like a Top 40 song from a few years ago. (The title escapes me at the moment.) It then kicks into an arena rock feel. This tune follows the string quartet at the end of "Behold The Lamb." Like I said...variety. You're never sure what to expect next.

"Gentle Savior" is a slower ballad with piano and strings for accompaniment. Next up is a slow acoustic guitar driven lullaby titled "Visions Of God." After a couple of relaxing songs, we get faked out by an easy going intro that yields to an energetic track called "Power." I thought they could have taken this track to another level, but it fades out just as it's getting really interesting. Two anthems conclude the recording. "The Name Lives On" has some serious hit potential. Hopefully that cut will be pushed to radio.

Reader Comments

This is a great album! David nails another one!
I too enjoyed the variety of this and every one of David's albums. I was very touched by the song Legacy of Love. My father passed away Sept 6th from bone cancer and this song speaks so much of him. I cried the first several times I heard it. This song means a lot to me. It's amazing too that the new album was released on Sept 27th, which would have been my dad's 65th birthday!
I truly believe this song was intended for me and has helped me get through the loss of dad.
I will also agree that the songs Behold the Lamb and Gentle Savior are awesome. Long Time Coming is different, but in a good way.
I will miss David in the GVB but hope he has a long and successful solo career! I give this album a 4 1/2 star!

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 11/01/2005

This would have only gotten 3 stars from me. In my eyes, production value alone couldn't save the album. It sounds like every other ccm/pop album out there in the same vein as Matthew West, Steven Curtis Chapman, and MercyMe.

Where is the big voice that we all love so much?

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 11/01/2005

The big voice is there on a number of tracks. It's just competing with too many other elements and not mixed as strong as it should have been in some places. I think this CD would definitely qualify for the term "over-produced."

I do think they dropped the ball on "Power," which was begging to go to another level vocally when it instead wraps up. Otherwise, it's more a matter of mix levels.

As for the star rating, I agree this might be a lower rating if I was writing for an audience used to hearing big dollar productions all the time, but the production quality counts for a great deal when I'm writing for a Southern Gospel website.

Commented by David Bruce Murray On 11/01/2005

I am the biggest David Phelps fan you'll ever talk to! He is by far my favorite singer and I believe he's the top singer in the entire christian music industry.
With that said, I have to say I was kind of disappointed in this album. Much of the background stuff (such as choral, reverb, strings, and just banging) covered up the great big voice we love. However, with that said, I have to say the album is still worth every penny. "Behold The Lamb", "His Name Lives On", and - especially "Gentle Savior" - are all awesome songs. I really love "Power" but, like the others, I believe it ended when it was just getting good. "Somethings Gotta Change" is pretty good, though it is mainly all beat and doesn't really show David's voice. The song "Long Time Coming" is really a weird song in my book. "Life Is A Church" is probably the weirdest song to me. Some of the lines left questions in my mind as to what he was talking about. I won't go into it, you'll just have to read the verses yourself.
Overall, I am glad I purchased the album, but feel Phelps could have done a much better job. I'm afraid he's trying to do every style out there, when we all know David would be a superstar if he'd stick with his own style. We just all want to hear that awesome voice that makes us feel like heaven has come down to us. But I guess he'll be a star anyway...

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 11/03/2005

I love David Phelps singing & music! My favorite song on the cd is, "Behold the Lamb". I think he has progressed since his last project. I really am disappointed that he left Southern Gospel, but He still has a-lot of Southern Gospel left in him. Anyways, He sounds really good and the music is very pleasing to the ear.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 11/05/2005

Great review, I always enjoy your work DBM. I was a little surprised you didn't make more mention of David's great vocals on "Gentle Savior." That is probably my favorite song on the CD since it shows off his upper range.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 11/07/2005

All your comments are justified...the only thing I wanted to add was this...I think this is the first time I heard David "cry" when he sang. Michael English, Guy Penrod...they cried when they sang the powerful ballad and evoked passion. David has always been too "perfect"...his voice is unbeleivable, but he had never evoked the same emotion in me as a listener...He did on this album! Way to go David!!! Your passion came through...I LOVE IT!!

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Commented by KP Kid On 12/29/2005

David Phelps is the greatest tenor on the planet. If you can find a person who can sing better and higher with full voice better then he can.....let me know. it cant be done

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 02/10/2006

I love David's voice, and i dare say that he's one of the greatest singers ever in and outside Gospelmusic.
I do not like the music he's into these days.
But the guy makes his own decisions, so if he likes what he's doing,more power to him.
I would personally love to see him do music that's more timeless, in other words the stuff he brings out these days sounds very outdated, when his aim
seems to be, to be very young/hip and modern.
To each his own, i'm very sorry we've lost a great outstanding singer to such '13 in a dozen' style.

Duke

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 03/18/2006

This was one of those cd's that I had to listen to several times before I decided that I liked it. I will have to say it was just a little to contemporary for me, I'm more of a Southern Gospel fan, but with that said I still thought it was good. David Phelps is a phenomenal talent and there is no mistaking that he has a great voice. But I have to agree that the music on this cd on certain songs did tend to drown out his vocals. But he has to sing in whatever style he feels is right for him and go in the direction that he feels the Lord is leading him. No matter what, David I'm still a big fan and will continue to support you and your music. I will buy any cd you come out with.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 06/21/2006

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