Search - Edwin Hawkins :: Oh Happy Day

Great

Sunny Maudlin | 01/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album has proved to be one of my favourites since I picked it up almost a year ago. Unlike Gospel groups like The Winans, the Edwin Hawkins Singers lean more towards traditional Gospel rather than the R&B/Pop/Gospel hybrid that The Winans helped popularize. This music consists mostly of a large Gospel choir with various soloists, piano, and organ as opposed to numerous synthesizers.

The title track "Oh Happy Day" was a huge hit for the group, making the top ten in the late 1960's and was since covered by such as artists as Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples, and BeBe Winans. The song is indeed uplifting, with a joyful performance by the singers and a lovely solo by a husky-voiced female. (My cassette version doesn't include liner notes.) "Joy, Joy" is a piano-driven ballad about enduring the hardships of life and looking forward to the joy that comes afterward. It's one of my favourite songs. Other highlights are the fast-paced "To My Father's House," the compelling "I Heard The Voice Of Jesus," and the bluesy "I'm Going Through." Also featured are the hymn-like "Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord," the jazzy "I Shall Be Free," and the R&B-ish "Precious Memories." There isn't a bad song on the album, and I highly recommend it."

Oh HaPPY dAY.

John E. Barry | S.F. | 08/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"tHE best album in my collection of 3,500 albums. It will knock you out.



,,,,and I am as white as they come!!

jack barry, san francisco"

Feel the Spirit

Jack F. Chavoor | Fresno, CA | 02/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Originally titled, Let us Go in to the House of the Lord, this is --as these reviews have testified-- one of the best black gospel albums ever. Feel the power, the spirit, the groove, the enthusiasm, the authenticity. Great stuff. You'll be humming all day. You won't stop playing it for months. It is one of those albums."