Customer Rating: 
Summary: Andy Griffith---not just Sheriff Taylor and Matlock
Comment: All of the hymns Andy sings are older hymns which my mother enjoys. He has a great voice, and he sings selections suited to his voice.
Customer Rating:
Summary: If feelings and belief can be carried on music, this is it.
Comment: In his golden years, Andy Griffith has bestowed a tremendous gift upon us in his "I Love To Tell The Story" collection. I've heard critics complain that he does not offer the slick polish of a young man's voice, but I wouldn't trade the sincere feeling and heart-touching depth Andy Griffith can put across for anything. There's a lifetime of warmth that resonates through his voice in these beautiful old songs. Creating such meaning with voice comes from time spent living. Listening makes me wish I'd grown up in his part of the south. This is my second of Andy's CD's, the first was The Christmas Guest (truly superb - a must have). I Love To Tell The Story arrived only a few days ago but has already logged many hours playing. If I had to choose favorites on this cd, (two of them tied for absolute favorite) they would be (1A) Precious Memories: gentle sweet and peaceful (1B) Sweet Prospect: both tenderly reverent and compelling; makes an excellent showcase for the gentle power of Andy's classical trained voice. (2) Softly and Tenderly: lovely, heartfelt and moving (3) How Great Thou Art: like listening to his sincere private conversation with his maker (4) Amazing Grace: stirring rendition. All together it is a beautiful collection, well executed, classically. This is not flash, this is substance. This will be in my collection always, played often.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Author of The Dead Angel loves to sing along with Andy.
Comment: As a member of a musical family (even my detective in TDA sings) that still gathers at the piano to sing many favorite songs, including the good ol' hymns of yesteryear, I love Andy's CDs. When I need a lift, I pop one into the CD player...car or home...and sing away. They're great to use for family get-togethers when there's no piano handy. Andy's background musicians are also superb. I cherish Andy's CDs that I own. Keep singin' and recordin', Andy! We can feel your sincerity in each number.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Sing them over again to me
Comment: Hymn-singing doesn't get much better than this. Andy Griffith, who has entertained audiences for decades, proves once more to be an engaging, thoroughly enjoyable performer. The arrangements give vocal and instrumental support but never overpower Griffith's honest and straight-forward delivery or detract from the simplicity of these traditional tunes.
Actually, I was amazed at how good Griffith sounded. This is not a young man. Yet, his voice sounds remarkably fresh. His rhythm and pitch are exemplary and his vibrato and general tone are amazingly smooth and even throughout his range. Even more important, he delivers the text clearly.
The hymn choices and combinations are excellent. All are standards and should be familiar to anyone who grew up in a Southern church. I was particularly tickled with the combination of "Sweet Hour of Prayer" and "What a Friend we have in Jesus" -- the first two hymns I ever learned to play. From the vigorous "Shall We Gather at the River/Will the Circle be Unbroken" combination to the reflective "Wayfaring Stranger" this is a tour de force from a great performer.
If you like the inspiration of hymns, this is one for you. (And if you like this, you will also probably like Griffith's Christmas album "Christmas Guest" -- available September 2003.)
Customer Rating:
Summary: I can't recommend it enough!
Comment: In this wonderful CD, acting legend and singer Andy Griffith (b.1926) sings a selection of the hymns that have inspired him throughout his life. Few know that Mr. Griffith's first career choice had been to be an opera singer, and that he graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in music. Deeply religious, he had originally enrolled as a pre-divinity student, and though he switched over to drama, he never completely lost that first love.This CD contains twenty-five classic Christian hymns, sung in Mr. Griffith's distinctive voice. Shall We Gather at the River flows into Will the Circle Be Unbroken, as he takes us along down memory lane to the great hymns of yesterday. I found this to be a great CD, one that gets better with each listening. (My favorite song is Wayfaring Stranger, which Mr. Griffith makes a very moving song to listen to.) It is a great CD to relax to, and just be carried off. I can't recommend it enough!
