by James Hales | Jul 19, 2023 | LP Review, Reviews
The 1970’s was a volatile time in the music industry, not just in gospel. Every genre was experiencing growth as it was bombarded with all sorts of styles. In an attempt to be a cross-over artist to broaden their audience or just because they felt that they could,...
by James Hales | Jul 12, 2023 | LP Review, Reviews
After enjoying the immense success of their “Praise Him!” live album, the Downings weren’t done blazing trails and playing around with different sounds and styles. Their next 2 studio albums were a musical playground of creativity and originality, as they seemingly...
by James Hales | Jul 5, 2023 | LP Review, Reviews
One of the greatest and most exciting live albums ever recorded is this latest album by the Downings, appropriately titled, “Praise Him!”. Filled with lots of exciting upbeat tunes that make live albums so…well…exciting…the album also features several wonderful...
by James Hales | Jun 28, 2023 | LP Review, Reviews
I will go ahead and start by saying that this is my all-time favorite album by the Downings. When I got this album, I was already familiar with several of the songs, as I had heard them on their “Praise Him-Live!” recording, which I had heard prior to getting my hands...
by James Hales | Jun 21, 2023 | LP Review, Reviews
1973 was a huge and busy year for the Downings. Along with releasing 2 major albums (“Love Beyond Compare” and “Greater”), Ann, Joy and Dony each released individual solo albums (Paul had released a solo narrative album “In the Beginning, God…” a couple of years...
by James Hales | Jun 14, 2023 | LP Review, Reviews
As mentioned last week, 1973 marked the dawning of a new era for the Downings. When Allen Henson left the group, instead of hiring another male singer, the Downings opted to utilize Dony McGuire as their lead/tenor singer, along with him continuing to play piano....