Take 2 Review: Joseph Habedank – Resurrection

by | Jul 4, 2017 | CD Reviews, Take 2 Review

A Take 2 Review offers a writer a chance to take a second look at a CD another Musicscribe writer already reviewed. Today, Daniel offers his take on Joseph Habedank’s Resurrection. (David reviewed it here.)

Look at the radio charts from three or four years ago and you will find plenty of top-ten hits for numerous groups co-written by Joseph Habedank. You’ll find fewer recently, and now we know why: He’s been saving all his hits for Resurrection.

Songs are central to a good Southern Gospel album. After all, our genre is defined by its songs; if vocal arrangements and instrumentation were identical but there weren’t Gospel lyrics, it wouldn’t be a Southern Gospel album! Everything else needs to be present, but songs are the most important element to making a top-caliber Southern Gospel record. Over half the songs on Resurrection would be the best song on practically any other Southern Gospel release this year. This isn’t hyperbole.

It’s easy to say an album’s songs cover “familiar themes in fresh ways.” In fact, it’s too easy to say. Anonymous press release writers use it as a halfhearted cliche. But it’s actually true here. Could we find more familiar themes than Lazarus, Paul and Silas in jail, and Calvary? But it would be even harder to find fresher takes than “Dead Things,” “Jailbreak,” and “Devil Can’t Dance.”

Its musical arrangements are creative without being imitative. (David covered the arrangements so well that this review focuses on the songs) Habedank is one of the genre’s premier vocalists, and his vocal performances here rank among his best to date. The artwork and packaging is also excellent.

Resurrection has no weaknesses. For the first time, in 2017, a soloist has set the high bar by which we measure this year’s releases.

Producer: Wayne Haun
Label: Daywind Records
Songs: Here He Comes; Jailbreak; Just When You Thought; I Believe In The Resurrections; Middle Man; Devil Can’t Dance; I Love You (From An Old Rugged Cross); Dead Things; Say The Name; Long Live The King
Rating: 5 Stars

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Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount is a Christian author and songwriter. He lives in Black Mountain, NC.

4 Comments

  1. Darrell

    Good review, Daniel. All the songs on here are GREAT. Joseph would be the one soloist I wouldn’t mind hearing in concert. (I’m normally a quartet man.) :-) Next month he is going to be in the Baltimore area, which for me is a 2+ hour drive. Hmmm, might be worth the trip. I have a brother living in the area and he said he would go with me. He’s not a big SG fan, but I think he would enjoy it.

    Reply
    • David Bruce Murray

      There are several soloists I enjoy. I haven’t had the chance to hear Habedank yet, but based on hearing him with a group in the past, I’m sure I would enjoy his solo concerts as well. I just hope he eventually reaches a point in his career when he’s in demand enough to justify adding at least a couple of musicians/bgvs to his events.

      Whether it’s just two player/singers like Guy Penrod typically uses or a full band like David Phelps and Jason Crabb use, it makes a huge difference when there’s more going on than just one person singing with tracks.

      Reply
      • Darrell

        Totally agree with you on the thing of a band adding a lot to a soloist’s performance. These groups aren’t SG by any stretch, but both Third Day and MercyMe would be two examples of groups who have a main lead singer, backed by a band. And it has worked for them for years. It would be great if Joseph could get to the point of being backed by a band. I think his style would fit well…….

        Reply
    • Daniel J. Mount

      I don’t know what it would be like in a live concert. But it sure is a good CD listening experience! :)

      Reply

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