This month's quartet CD review really needs no introduction.  For years the Fantastic Violinaires have featured one lead singer, and that gentleman was the late Robert Blair lead singer of the group since the late 1950s. The question that stayed on many minds and hearts throughout the industry is what would the Fantastic Violinaires do without Blair.  Well, as the first release in the year of 2003 this project definitely made it very clear as to what the group would do.  They decided to continue the innovative tradition of the Fantastic Violinaires in that they have once again changed with the sounds of the times.  When listening to this CD any longtime Violinaire fan will agree that many of these songs sound drastically different than the group's sound of the 1980s and 1990s.  However, if we are to really make an evaluation of this project let's remember that the Violinaires have always been a radical group in terms of their sound.  Let's not forget their Checker albums "You Can All Join In", "Groovin' With Jesus", and "God's Creation".  So today we commend the Violinaires for having the courage to step out and once again present a new style for your listening audience. 

The feel of this 10 song project can be summed up by saying interestingly different. Their are three major aspects about this project that will jump out at you immediately.  First, the production on this project has an almost R&B type feel to it.  The vocals don't have that crystal clear sound that many quartet listeners have come to be accustomed to.  Second, the regular tenor voice of Rev. Danny Walker on lead is actually very good.  As many remember, since the late 1970s Danny was featured as the main falsetto lead singer along with the late Isaiah "Little Shot" Jones.  However, on this project Danny does all of his lead work in his normal voice.  Much in the tradition of his 1989 project with The Fantastics, Danny is joined by the swirling lead voice of Dwight "Tito" Arthur.  The third major aspect is the lyrical depth of the songs on this project.  Songs like the opening cut "Your Love", "Stop Complaining", and "Reason In My Life" are definitely steps towards a new level in terms of song lyrics.    

So what can we say about the songs on this project.  First, if you want variety, The Fantastic Violinaires give you just that on this release.  On a few of the songs the background voices are down from their patented sky high falsetto sound yet the sound is still  much higher than most group's on the road today.  The first song that will definitely jump out is the single that has been released to many radio stations "Stop Complaining".  This song calls each of us to attention and shows us how we really have nothing to complain about in life.  Rev. Walker let's us know that the only thing we really need more of is Love for our fellowman and love for God. The style is actually one of the songs that maintains that Violinaire like arrangement from the 1980s.  When looking for a drive song on this project you will need to look no further than Dwight "Tito" Arthur's "Look The Place The Over".   As the drive builds Tito proceeds to give a quick roll call of all the Violinaires he hopes to meet over in Heaven including Jesse McDaniel, J.C. Smith, Little Shot, and Robert Blair.  The song climaxes in some falsetto yelps by Danny and hard driving lead vocals from Tito. 

In terms of songs that really represent a different sound for the group check out the songs "Keep My Record Clean", "ABC/123", and "So Good".  While they all represent a little something different, the major standout amongst these songs is definitely "So Good".  As was mentioned earlier, the Violinaires are known for pushing the envelope on arrangements and much in the tradition of "Groovin' With Jesus", and "You Can All Join In", "So Good" is to the far left of the contemporary spectrum.  "Keep My Record Clean" is a smooth call for all Christians to live a holy life while "ABC/123" is an interesting little number that describes God's love.  It even features a cool Bass vocal part by the Violinaires drummer Bo-Bo.   

Favorites on this project will probably be the group's traditional arrangement of the classic "Trust In The Lord".  If your looking for old school Violinaires look no further than this song.  The background seems to sky to unbelievable heights with each reading of the chorus and it even has a little Blair  feel on lead from Rev. Danny Walker.  Another potential favorite is the beautiful song of thanksgiving "Thank You Lord".  In fact the arrangement is exactly the same as their 1984 hit song "One Day As I Was Walking Along" from their "Talk To Jesus" album on Malaco Records.