Andrae Edward Crouch and his twin sister Sandra were born on July 1, 1942 in San Francisco, California. Andrae Crouch &The Disciples put out their debut album TAKE THE MESSAGE EVERYWHERE in 1968. Their last recording was 1978`s LIVE IN LONDON. In 1973 Andrae released his solo debut, JUST ANDRAE. It was one of over ten solo albums he would release. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 72 after having had a heart attack. What I am reviewing here is TRIBUTE-THE SONGS OF ANDRAE CROUCH (1996, Warner Alliance). Andrae wrote all of the songs alone except for `Jesus is the Answer' which is a co-write with sister Sandra.
CeCe Winans sings 'Take Me Back'. This R&B ballad desires intimacy with Christ: "I feel that I'm so far from you Lord/But still I hear You calling me/Those simple things that I once knew/Their memories keep drawing me.../Renew my faith, restore my joy/And dry my weeping eyes". Michael W. Smith sings 'Jesus is the Answer'. It's a well known soulful ballad that points people directly to Christ: "In case you don't know/I'm here to tell you that the Word of God is true/And everything that He's promised/I tell you He would do it for you/Let me tell you that/Jesus is the answer for the world today/Above Him there's no other/Jesus is the Way". Twila Paris sings 'I Don't Know Why Jesus Loved Me'. It's an adult contemporary ballad of reflection: "Where would I be if Jesus didn't love me?/Where would I be if Jesus didn't care?/Where would I be if He hadn't sacrificed His life?/Oh, but I'm glad, so glad He did".
Next up, Bryan Duncan covers 'It's Gonna Rain'. Horns are used on this jazzy pop song that draws from the Old Testament: "They knocked on my window/And knocked on my door/They cried 'Noah, can you take on some more?'/Noah cried out 'You're full of sin/Well, God's got the key and ya can't get in'/The people cry/'Rain go away!'" Wayne Watson covers 'Through it All' in adult contemporary fashion. It's a great song of faith: "Through it all, through it all/I've learned to trust in Jesus,/I've learned to trust in God/Through it all, through it all/I've learned to depend upon His Word".
The Winans perform 'It Won't Be Long', a gospel ballad that builds in intensity. It anticipates heaven: "Count the years as months/Count the months as weeks/Count the weeks as days/Any day now/We'll be goin'/We'll be goin' home". Clay Crosse performs 'The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power' on which Phil Madeira plays the Hammond B-3. It's a wonderful gospel anthem of testimony: "The blood that Jesus shed for me/Way back on Calvary/Oh, the blood that gives me strength from day to day/It will never lose its power/For it reaches to the highest mountain/And it flows to the lowest valley/Oh the blood that gives me strength from day to day/It will never lose its power".
Take 6 is up next with their acapella spin on 'This is Another Day'. They testify: "This is another day that the Lord has kept me/Ooh, this is another day He's blessed me/He kept me from all evil/With my mind straight on Him". The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir with soloist Calvin Hunt and John Hammond on drums, deliver a splendid version of 'Soon and Very Soon'. It offers great hope: "Soon and very soon/We are going to see the King (3X)/Hallelujah, hallelujah!/We are going to see the King.../No more crying there.../No more dying there".
First Call deliver an adult pop version of 'Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus'. Mark Douthit plays sax on this testimonial: "Can't nobody do me like Jesus/Can't nobody do me like the Lord/Can't nobody do me like Jesus/He's my friend/He healed my body and He told me to run/He's my friend". Last up we have the classic 'My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)' performed by Andrae and an All Star Choir which includes Kim Boyce, Steve Camp, Fairfield Four, Guardian, Vestal Goodman, Dana Key, Larry Norman, Janet Paschal, and Kim Rutherford, among others. It's praise and worship black gospel style: "To God be the glory (3X)/For the things He has done/With His blood He has saved me/With His power He has raised me/To God be the glory for all the things He has done!"
TRIBUTE-THE SONGS OF ANDRAE CROUCH does not disappoint. It is essentially a praise and worship record peppered with black gospel, R&B, and adult pop sounds. Jesus is what fuels these eleven songs. He loves us so much that He died for us on Calvary, shedding His blood, and rising from the dead three days later, paving the way for us to receive everlasting life if we will only admit our sin and believe in Him. Songs on this album, which I'm rating 100%, are timeless, and remind us to stay close to God and trust Him. If you like multi-artist projects like MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST and CITY ON A HILL, consider picking up this compilation album. For more info visit Andrae's musician/band page on Facebook.