Larry Sparks - I Want To Be Like Jesus

(Crosscut CR-1125) 2001.

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This is another excellent Gospel album, which was recorded at Crosscut Studios in Hazard, Kentucky, with Larry backed up by Scott Napier on mandolin, Josh McMurray on banjo and Matt Madden on bass.

The material consists of newly written material by John Smith, Marshal Warwick, Joe Smith, Thomas E. Campbell & Jackie Kincaid, interspersed with some older songs.

Most tracks are of a consistently high standard, but one standout cut is Larry's soulful rendition of I Just Want To Thank You Lord, which has a stunning vocal and was orginally recorded on the Marshall Family's 1975 'Come Springtime' LP. Oddly, when the album was reissued in 2009 as I Just Want To Thank You Lord, a different (and to my ear inferior) version of the song was used. The replacement is performed at a slower pace and lasts about 30 seconds longer overall.

The older material included also includes: an excellent a cappella treatment of the hymn Better Farther On; What A Wonderful Savior (Is He) - originally released by The Brewster Brothers (1959) & also recorded by Carl Story; What Kind Of Man (Jesus Is) - originally recorded by Larry on Ralph Stanley's 1968 LP Over The Sunset Hill; and an instrumental version of I Will Not Be Denied.

Of the newly written material, I Want To Be Like Jesus is quite catchy; Bible Ben is quite humorous - unusually so for a Gospel album; His Name Was Judas is a well crafted song with excellent arrangement and lovely performance by Larry and the band; Soul Train & Going Home are uptempo but fairly average happy clappy fare. The album closes with the heartfelt A King For Me.

• Larry Sparks: guitar, lead vocals
• Matt Madden: bass
• Josh McMurray: banjo
• Scott Napier: mandolin

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