I Want to Thank You

Album review

Since the 1960s, the Mighty Clouds of Joy have been recording heavenly sounding gospel music. Many of today's gospel quartets are often measured by the standards this legendary, trendsetting group has set forth. This project shows how the Clouds continue to reinvent themselves to flow with the current musical tide the industry has set forth. Granted, the group would not dare abandon its traditional quartet base, as can be noticed through tracks such as "Hook Up," "I Want to Thank You," the James Cleveland-penned "He Chose Me," "God Can," and "He Will Do It," the latter featuring a guest vocal appearance by Dottie Peoples. The Clouds, who enjoyed some crossover success during the mid-'70s, show here that they can still handle the contemporary side of things. For starters, there's the Marc Harris/BeBe Winans-penned track "Right Here Waiting (Come See About Me)." Other tracks traveling the contemporary vein are the J. Moss/Paul "PDA" Allen-produced "New Creature" and the urban-flavored "Seeking the Fire." This project shows that the Mighty Clouds of Joy continue to be a force to be reckoned with.
© Tim A. Smith /TiVo