Evangelicals Now
Christian news worldwide
magnifying glass Search archives
home Home check the archives Archives Subscribe Subscriptions Advertising Information & booking of classifieds Adverts Find a local evangelical Church Find a church for the search engines and extremely curious! About us Contact us Site Map
Printable
Version

I'm travelling on (CD)

Beating Time

TITLE: I’M TRAVELLING ON
ARTIST: Ruby Turner
WEBSITE: http://www.rubyturner.com
PRICE: £10.00
FORMAT: CD (15 tracks, 46 mins.)
STYLE: gospel

In a bid to boost my hip contemporary credentials, this review comes to you courtesy of Spotify. If you don’t know what Spotify is, Google it and then sign up for free. If you don’t know what Google is, perhaps you could just tune your wireless set to the Light Programme?

I’m not sure how I’ve missed this remarkable Jamaican from the Midlands. Ruby has appeared with many household names, such as The Temptations, Brian Ferry, UB40 and Mick Jagger, and is currently one of the main singers in Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra. But her big break came in the mid 1980s when she was asked to join Boy George’s Culture Club.

First gospel album

More recently, Ruby has appeared at Ronnie Scotts, on Songs of Praise and that thing Aled Jones does on Radio 2 every Sunday morning. To date she has released 16 albums and also features on the BBC’s Live From Glastonbury. This is her first gospel album, but she’s already talking about another.

It’s hard to tell where Ruby is coming from. In interviews she talks about her music in spiritual terms, of being compelled by God to sing, and of her Pentecostal heritage. But I got the impression of a nostalgic longing for something lost rather than a vital current reality. I hope I’m wrong.

The songs are familiar, and include such classics as: ‘Get Away Jordan’, ‘The Love of God’, ‘Precious Lord’, ‘Atomic Telephone’ and ‘Stand By Me’.

The recordings are incredibly warm and sound remarkably authentic (in part due to the exclusive use of retro analogue technology throughout).

Gorgeous

Ruby’s voice has been likened to Aretha Franklin and is utterly gorgeous and extremely versatile. Sometimes she’s soft and velvety, at others she’s almost Mahalia Jackson with a full head of steam. The instrumental backing varies from zero (i.e. a cappella), simple guitar or piano, a classic piano and Hammond organ duo, through to a full R&B band. The backing vocals are marvelous, and for one track Ruby even sings a duet with her mum. In a word: moving

PGDH
http://colossiansthreesixteen.org