CD Review: Nelons – The Americana Sessions

by | Nov 14, 2017 | CD Reviews, Reviews

The latest release by The Nelons is an 11-song collection titled The Americana Sessions. Family themes run throughout and as the title implies, this is a collection of well-known American standards.

The one new song is “Daddy And Son,” written by Jason Clark, Dony McGuire, and Reba Rambo-McGuire. This story of an estranged father and son forgiving each other features Jason, and is one of the more overtly gospel songs on the CD. Another song that was new to me, but has been recorded previously by Sonya Isaacs is “Battlefield.” The Nelon’s version is also a cappella.

The rest are some of American music’s best known classics like “Gentle On My Mind,” “You Needed Me,” “Colors Of The Wind,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” Of these, I particularly like how a full mix of instruments sets “Coat Of Many Colors” apart from Dolly Parton’s original version. Another highlight is “Oh Shenandoah” where Amber Thompson really shines on the vocal.

I can’t predict whether The Americana Sessions will attract fresh fans to the Nelons. That being said, it’s great to see them embrace a concept other than Christmas and deliver something different than the typical collection of classics we’ve come to expect from practically all Southern Gospel groups. Production-wise, The Americana Sessions doesn’t scream “huge budget,” but it doesn’t scream “cheap” either. It’s a well-made CD with quality artwork and a concept that makes it particularly unique.

Producer: Jason Clark
Label: Daywind Records
Song Titles:
Gentle On My Mind; Colors Of The Wind; Coat Of Many Colors; You Needed Me; Daddy And Son; Bridge Over Troubled Water; Oh Shenandoah; Take Me Home Country Roads; An America Trilogy; Mama Tried; Battlefield
Rating: 4 Stars (scale of 1-5)

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David Bruce Murray

David Bruce Murray

David Bruce Murray is a church music director in Ellenboro, NC. He is the author of Murray's Encyclopedia Of Southern Gospel Music and the owner of both SGHistory.com and MusicScribe.com.

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