Background Track: "Let Me Tell It" by Commissioned (lead
vocals: Keith Staten and Fred Hammond; written by Fred Hammond; track from their album The Commissioned Reunion Live!)
On October 26, 2001, seven out of the twelve total Commissioned
members reunited in an evening of some of the greatest Commissioned hits from albums I'm Going On to
Matters of the Heart. This album remakes 27 of their hits, and also shows how their voices have matured
a bit.
Overall, this album is pretty nice, but I do have a few complaints/dislikes.
- The first one was that this
album didn't include "Love Is The Way", which is my favorite Commissioned song (if you listen to the Commissioned Reunion
2nd CD, at the end of I Can't Live Without U, you can hear some guy hollering "Love Is The Way', play 'Love Is The Way'...Ah
man, no 'Love Is The Way'!" -it was funny! -but I know how he feels) If only this song had've been included, I would've
been alright!
- The second thing was that it
only included 7 out of 12 Commissioned members - I'm still wondering why. The Reunion featured members Karl Reid,
Mitchell Jones, Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, Michael Williams,
Marvin Sapp, and Marcus Cole, but didn't include keyboard/piano/organ players Michael Brooks,
Maxx Frank, and Eddie Howard, Jr., nor did they include singers Montrell Darrett or Chris Poole (I would've loved to see at
least Michael Brooks, Maxx Frank, and Montrell Darrett included) If the rest of the Commissioned singers were there including
Parkes Stewart, Commissioned's singing would've been more harmonius on this album, especially on "I Am Here" - this
song could've way been better as far as harmony, like the first version from the Commissioned album State of Mind
was much better as far as harmony goes.
- The third thing that I didn't like is that
they didn't include songs from later albums Irreplaceable Love or Time and Seasons, and didn't even
include some of the best songs from Matters of the Heart, like "Stand" in which Marvin Sapp is
tight! "Love Is The Way" (I mentioned this earlier), "I'm Learning" which happens to be one of my Commissioned favorites and
includes Parkes Stewart, and "You Can Always Come Home" which includes Run-DMC and Chuckii Booker. I would've rather seen
any of these songs in the Commissioned Reunion than "When Love Calls You Home" - this song isn't really one of Commissioned
greatest hits in my opinion. I'm hypothesizing that they just didn't have enough room for these songs or those from later
albums to be included on the Commissoned Reunion album (they have to fit it on tapes as well as CD's) - but that was just
a guess.
- The fourth is that they should've included (should
include) some of the songs that they sung at the Reunion, such as "No More Loneliness", and "If My People" on the Reunion
album or an album that they make in the future.
- The fifth is that "Running
Back to You" was too long -but I liked it still - it was enjoyable. On "Ordinary Just Won't Do" I would've rather heard Keith
Staten take the lead at the middle as he did on the original recording, and I would've enjoyed it more if the drumbeats were
kept the same as in the original.
Some of my favorite songs and stuff I
like about this CD is the song "You've Got A Friend", especially the drums and percussion in the beginning
- played by Michael Williams and Radical For Christ's drummer Marvin McQuitty. They Were Snapping! I
also like the horns in general, especially on "King of Glory"! "Let Me Tell It" sounds way better than the original - Keith
Staten and Fred Hammond were a hit! The beginning of "So Good to Know" was nice! On "Victory", I loved the harmony
of the drums, horns (Mo'Horns), and bass guitar.
Sample Songs: (from cdsampler.com)
Disc One:
Hype (Strange Land), Triumphant Entry,You've Got A Friend, I'm Going On, Keep On Blessing Me, Back In The Saddle, Go Tell Somebody, Lord Jesus Help Me (Help Somebody Else), Everlasting Love, Hold Me (Leaning), I Am Here, King Of Glory, Let Me Tell It, Lay Your Troubles Down
Disc Two:
Giving My Problems To You, The City, Cry On, Love Isn't Love, Ordinary Just Won't Do, When Love Calls You Home, Please You More, Secret Place, Find Myself In You, Will You Be Ready?, 'Tis So Sweet, Running Back To You, So Good To Know (The Savior), Victory, I Can't Live Without You
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