Epoch Universal Publications/NALR 33420/FAI-78 (1978)
“Best Of”/Compilations weren’t unknown in the “Jesus Music” era but they weren’t common either. This is an interesting one, selected from the extensive offerings the ministry had in the 1970’s. It includes many of their best known artists (and some lesser known ones) as follows:
- Paul Quinlan, a pioneer in the field (featured elsewhere) now with his wife Nancy;
- Grayson Warren Brown, one of the few (only?) black artists NALR had;
- Saint Louis Jesuits, the famous, including Bob Dufford, John Foley, Tim Manion, Roc O’Connor and Dan Schutte;
- Carey Landry, the “Catholic troubadour of the bayou,” who even serves up some “bon ton” in French on this album;
- Deanna Edwards, the music therapist, one of whose cuts sounds like something from the soundtrack of an old movie; and
- Wendy Vickers (also featured elsewhere.)
I’m not sure whether this album was ever commercially distributed; based on what’s on the album cover, it may have been intended as a promotional effort for parishes to adopt their music (which many did.) It’s not quite like “The Cry of the Poor” but it’s a nice selection from probably the strongest distributor of Catholic music in the NOM/Vatican II era.
The songs (with their composers):
- Though the Mountains May Fall (D. Schutte)
- The Lord is My Shepherd (P. Quinlan)
- Son-Rise (D. Edwards)
- How Good is the Lord (C. Landry)
- Sow a Seed (W. Vickers)
- Rise Up (P. Quinlan)
- Jesus Died Upon the Cross (G. Brown)
- The People That Walk in Darkness (B. Dufford)
- Live Each Day (D. Edwards)
- Blest Be the Lord (D. Schutte)
- In Him We Live (C. Landry)
Positive Infinity 