Artist: Talleys Project Title: After All This Time Label: Crossroads Producers: Roger Talley, Lauren Talley
The Talley name has been associated with Southern Gospel Music in parts of the past five decades. The first time I heard the name was in 1979 when, as a young teenager, I went to hear the Cathedrals. They had a new tenor singer named Kirk Talley. Kirk would stay there for about four years and then he would leave to join his brother Roger and Roger’s wife, Debra to form the Talleys. That group found a lot of success in Southern Gospel Music and that legacy continues today. Roger and Debra are still members of the Talleys and they are now joined by their daughter, Lauren. Their latest project is titled “After All This Time.”
The project kicks off with the title cut. “After All This Time” proclaims that God has been nothing but faithful and we are grateful for God’s faithfulness over all of the years we have known Him. “There Is Coming Day” is a wonderful reminder of the fact that there is coming a day when the Lord will return to take His Children home to Heaven. The tempo picks up tremendously with “There’s Never Been A Mountain.” What a great song reminding us that there is no mountain out there that God cannot move! There are so many songs in Southern Gospel Music about God’s Grace and I never tire of songs about that subject. The Talleys have another good one with “This Thing Called Grace.”
“Naaman” is a song that comes straight out of the Bible. We all remember Naaman, the leper, from Second Kings, chapter 5 and this is that story set to music by songwriter, Eleanor A. Wright. The song was originally recorded by Kirk Talley in the late 1990’s but this version is also a good one. “Jesus’ Blood Is Enough” is a statement that I would certainly not argue with and this song does a good job of reminding us that Jesus’ Blood is enough to change each and every one of us. “My Hope Is In The Lord” is the title of a song previously recorded by the Talley Trio but this is a different song! This upbeat song reminds us of just exactly where our hope should be found! The next song on the project is “But I Need You More.” The beautiful lyrics to this song were written by Gloria Gaither. The melody is listed as Traditional American Melody and I believe it is the same melody to the Elvis Presley hit, “Love Me Tender.” As I recall, that melody dates back to the American Civil War era.
“The People In The Line” is a song that I have been playing on my radio program for a while now and the message is a great one! It reminds us that the people we encounter each and every day are all struggling with something and as Christians we should always be attentive to that. I have often said that everyone has their own life story and I appreciate the message of “Somebody’s Story.” It talks about how much different this world, and our churches, would be if we took the time to learn somebody’s story. Ronnie Hinson is one of the all-time great songwriters and he and Mike Payne wrote a huge hit for Gold City titled “Who But God.’ The Talleys give us their version of this great song next and, while I admit that I miss the bass part, they really give an outstanding version of this awesome song. The final song on the project is a medley of two great hymns. “I Love To Tell The Story” and “Blessed Assurance” are two of my favorites and I love it when anyone records a great, old hymn!
As I previously stated, the Talley name has been around for a while now. I have followed this family since the beginning and have every project that the original Talleys recorded as well as the current version of the group. The group always delivers great projects with great song and great messages and this one is no exception. My favorite songs from this recording are “My Hope Is In The Lord,” “But I Need You More” and “There’s Never Been A Mountain.” The project is a good one in every way and I am sure that you will want to add it to your Southern Gospel Music library. For more information on the project, visit the Talleys website at www.thetalleys.com.
