You may have heard that the David Crowder* Band is going to be breaking up soon. To me, that is a sad thing and means their last offerings are to be savored all the more. Oh for Joy is a beautiful collection of Christmas songs redone by DC*B
The CD starts with "Joy To The World," with DC*B giving it an exhilarating sound but
keeping the classic melody and an originality that many new renditions of old songs do not achieve. Near the end of the song, at the "climax," Crowder sings "Oh for joy, lift up your voice! For Christ has come, for Christ has come!" The song calls you to praise God for his glorious Gift. One thing that struck me as I listened to this first song was that DC*B stayed incredibly true to the original song while taking the feeling and message behind it and amplifying it.
"Angels We Have Heard On High" is done with a bluegrass flavor, the fiddle and banjo music giving a very appropriate joyful yet longing sound to the song. This song is a little more restructured than some of the others on this CD, but still retains the "feel" of the original song. "O Come O Come Emmanuel" begins by softly entreating God to send The Messiah; towards the end, things get louder as Crowder sings "Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel has come," giving new energy to the old song.
"Silent Night" is mostly a recording of the audience singing as the band accompanies them. For a live recording, this has good sound quality and is almost exactly the same as the original song. Finally, "Carol of the Bells," a cover of the Tran Siberian Orchestra's version of the song, ends the worshipful album with a rush.
I fully recommend this CD to anyone that likes Christmas music and wants another take on some of the best Christmas songs ever written. Try this CD with hot chocolate and cookies; and be ready to have the spirit of Christmas musically presented to you.
The CD starts with "Joy To The World," with DC*B giving it an exhilarating sound but
keeping the classic melody and an originality that many new renditions of old songs do not achieve. Near the end of the song, at the "climax," Crowder sings "Oh for joy, lift up your voice! For Christ has come, for Christ has come!" The song calls you to praise God for his glorious Gift. One thing that struck me as I listened to this first song was that DC*B stayed incredibly true to the original song while taking the feeling and message behind it and amplifying it."Angels We Have Heard On High" is done with a bluegrass flavor, the fiddle and banjo music giving a very appropriate joyful yet longing sound to the song. This song is a little more restructured than some of the others on this CD, but still retains the "feel" of the original song. "O Come O Come Emmanuel" begins by softly entreating God to send The Messiah; towards the end, things get louder as Crowder sings "Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel has come," giving new energy to the old song.
"Silent Night" is mostly a recording of the audience singing as the band accompanies them. For a live recording, this has good sound quality and is almost exactly the same as the original song. Finally, "Carol of the Bells," a cover of the Tran Siberian Orchestra's version of the song, ends the worshipful album with a rush.
I fully recommend this CD to anyone that likes Christmas music and wants another take on some of the best Christmas songs ever written. Try this CD with hot chocolate and cookies; and be ready to have the spirit of Christmas musically presented to you.
