When speaking about the genre of quartet music the name Mighty Clouds of Joy is synonymous with the phrase "Living Legends".  The Clouds have long been known as the Ambassadors of Quartet Gospel. Long time members Joe Wallace and Joe Ligon have speard this sound that we all have come to know and love to the farthest corners of the globe.  Like Coca-Cola the Mighty Clouds of Joy are known worldwide and their music can be found everywhere.  For years they have stood on the cutting edge of the quartet sound pushing the envelope on arrangements and song selection.  Who would have ever thought a group could pull off a Live recording of "Love Train"?  While the Clouds have long been associated with the contemporary sound of quartet gospel it has always been their 1960s traditional Peacock sound that has won audiences over.  Lead singer Joe Ligon's patented sermonettes and earth shattering squalls have wrecked many a house in his well over 40 years at the helm of the Clouds. 

On the heals of their moderately successful "It Was You" release the Clouds have returned to their heavily traditional style with this new release "I Want To Thank You".  Don't get me wrong though, the Clouds definitely have their share of contemporary sounding numbers on this project, however they are few in comparison to the traditional material.  In fact the numbers that one would consider contemporary in style and arrangement have young powerhouse Ron Staples at the forefront.  Thus leaving the savvy veteran Joe Ligon to the more traditional numbers were he is obviously more comfortable at this stage of his career. The project opens with "Hook Up", a real punchy number filled with flashy horn sections and a variety of background changeups.  In the light of the previous comment Ron Staple is at the forefront on this number which is sure to be a radio favorite for more contemporary heavy stations. 

Following this selection Joe Ligon steps to the lead mic with "God Can".  As usual Joe shows just why he is one of the greatest lead singers of all times.  His ability to effectively sing slow heart wrenching ballads like "God Can" to hard driving numbers like the title cut "I Want To Thank You" is literally amazing.  While listening to "God Can" you are given just a glimpse of how great Ron Staple and Joe Ligon function in a switch lead situation.  For eight minutes these two gentlemen take the listener to church all the while professing the supreme nature of our Lord and God.  Joe then wastes little time moving right into the all out tour de force title selection "I Want To Thank You".  In the style of Mighty Cloud classics and 1995 hit "Power", Joe is in high gear throughout this selection climaxing with a series of screams and growls that leave the listener wanting more. 

Cameo appearances on this project are few with only the incomparable Dottie People making her presence known.  This is definitely to the disappointment of many who have enjoyed the work of The Williams Brothers Doug & Melvin in recent years on Clouds recordings.  The aforementioned Dottie People joins Joe on the beautiful slow ballad "He Will Do It".  This song professes the faithfulness of God in life's situations.  Dottie and Joe work together well and it is shown to perfection on this cut.  Other songs of note include the bluesy number "Come See About Me", "Jesus Made A Way", "Bad News Good News", and "He Didn't Bring Me This Far".  As you can see that's a pretty long list of standout songs.

"Come See About Me" is a perfect showcase of the Clouds ability to adapt to literally any style of gospel.  Complete with some serious guitar playing by Eddie "Spanky" Alford this song is definitely one that will grow on you the more you hear it.  While "Come See About Me" finds the Clouds adapting to different arrangements the aforementioned "Jesus Made A Way" and "Bad News Good News" are all out foot stompin' numbers.  "Jesus Made A Way" is the project's second serious drive number much in the tradition of "I Made A Step", while "Bad News Good News" takes us back to 1998.  While this song was never recorded on a strictly Mighty Clouds release it first arose on the 1998 release from Ellen Stafford featuring Joe Ligon & The Mighty Clouds of Joy.  While the project on a whole was not all that impressive their was one particular song that caught the attention of the quartet industry.  That particular song was "Bad News Good News". 

How does this version of "Bad News Good News" compare to the original you might ask.  All I have to say to that question is take the first version and multiply it by 10 and you have this current arrangement.  What really makes this song 10 times better is the tightness in musical arrangement with a real funky vibe.  The song tells of the bad news that is constantly around us in contrast to the good news of Jesus and his return.  While listening to this song it is clear that Joe is back in his element shining with all the splendor of a young Rev. C.L. Franklin.  Making effective use of the theme of this selection Joe flawlessly inserts a few new verses; one of them being about the September 11th tragedy. 

As we bring this review to a close one might wonder what the best song is on this project, and I definitely would have to argue for "He Didn't Bring Me This Far".  In classic fashion I truly do believe the Clouds left the best for last.  With the patented Mighty Cloud guitar intro Joe launches into this selection with great care.  While listening to this selection shades of "He Cares" from the "Live In Charleston" release definitely come to mind.  In an attempt not to bore you with more commentary, I think you get the picture on this release.  If you love good quartet singing this project needs to be in your collection.