Rating: 4 stars

Producer: Donna Beauvais
Label: Anchormen Music Group
Website: www.theanchormen.com

Buy This Project

The Anchormen is a name that Southern Gospel fans should be very familiar with. Through the years, this quartet has turned out great music and had one great lineup after another. Anchormen alumni include several recognizable names in the industry, names like Jeff Chapman, Steve Ladd, Tony Jarman, David Hester, Bryan Elliot, and Aaron McCune, among others. In recent years, however, it seems the group has struggled to keep a lineup together and the Anchormen name has somewhat faded into the background. The obvious question here is this: Is this lineup of The Anchormen any different?

This project seeks to answer that question with a resounding “Yes!” Today’s lineup of tenor Karl Rice, lead Keith Casstevens, baritone Michael Bartlett, and bass Paul Harkey is arguably the best one they’ve had in recent years.

The album itself is a collection of songs that give the listener an Anchormen lineup that sets itself apart from the others; the sound is “today,” while still very much the quartet sound fans love. The opening track demonstrates the change in the group’s sound with a Progressive tune, and the rest of the song is a mix of country-flavored tracks and a few powerful slower songs. Bass singer Paul Harkey in particular shines on the project, recalling the sound of the great basses the group has had through the years. He has a nice wide range as well, getting into “Tim Riley territory” (h/t, DBM) on songs like “Everything But Time,” but then displaying a smooth and surprising upper range on “The Letter.”

Bottom line: if The Anchormen can keep this lineup for a while, they will start garnering some well-deserved attention from the industry.

Youtube is a truly amazing thing, but especially in the world of Southern Gospel Music. Such technology allows us to go back in time to see our favorite groups and singers from yesteryear; and sometimes, it allows us to see how our favorite current singers have improved over the years.

When you think of singers in SG that have worked their butt off to improve themselves and become dynamite singers, Steve Ladd almost immediately leaps to mind. Take a look at this clip of Steve singing with The Anchormen. Judging by the lineup, this is probably around 1999. Steve is the one singing the second verse. You may want to turn up your speakers, because the clip is not loud at all.

Now, fast forward to the year 2009. Here, Steve Ladd is featured as tenor for Gold City, and he gets the solo pretty much all the way through.

Can you hear the difference? When Steve left Gold City, he went out a better singer than he came in. Like I said before, he worked hard to improve as a singer, and those two clips are solid proof.

I wish I’d found these two clips around the time Steve left GC, but consider this my belated tribute to Steve Ladd. I can’t put it better than Doug Harrison at Averyfineline did: “Gospel music could stand more of that sort of work ethic.”

SN Forums user Smokymtnsanta tells us the official announcement has been made that the Anchormen pianist has joined The Perrys. Press release will be posted when I recieve it.

Update: Here is the PR:

GALLATIN, TN (Press Release) – The Perrys have announced that Bryan Elliott, of the Anchormen (and formerly, the Palmetto State Quartet), will be their new pianist, effective Friday, August 8, when the group appears in Conway, Arkansas.

Tracy Stuffle says, “We’re thrilled to have Bryan on board. We’ve literally watched Bryan grow up in Southern Gospel music, and fans across the country know that he is one of finest pianists on the road today.”

The Anchormen’s Tim Bullins, says, “The Anchormen certainly wish the absolute best for Bryan and his family. This is a great opportunity for him, and I’m very happy for him – and the Perrys! Bryan’s a super pianist and a super young man!”

Bryan is a talented young pianist and I’m sure he’ll fit right in. I’m anxious to hear how he sounds with them!

Just read on the SN forums where Alex Woolard, tenor for Driven Quartet, has left the group to accept a music position at a church. A later post stated that their new tenor had filled in for Steve Ladd in his Anchormen days, but the name escapes me as well.

It’s a real shame when groups experience turnover just when they are starting to get noticed, but if Driven is anything like Tribute or Soul’d Out of recent weeks, they’ll bounce right back from the change.

Be expecting a press release soon.

Per Daniel Mount, it seems that a former Anchormen piano player is returning to the group.

Elliot was with the group at the time when the whole group, except Elliot, formed Driven Quartet. Elliot then went to Palmetto State Quartet, and was only with them for a year when that group semi-dissolved.

Although the lineup for The Anchormen is different from when he was with them last, he should have no trouble settling back in; they just re-recorded and released Glory Ahead, the project that Anchormen/Driven lineup recorded when Elliot was still with them.

Seems so. According to a poster at SN Forums:

“Saw the Anchormen recently and they were a trio! No mention of their bass singer. None. After the concert I heard one of them say he got married. Seems that the songs were chosen for their lack of a bass part and some were strangely country (as in C&W) sounding. They are still getting around in a van with a small trailer and are singing with tracks. PS- They have a new baritone singer, a “quartet-looking” young man from SC. He seems really promising, but would be more so with an actual quartet….”

Huh… Thought they would kind of fall apart after the previous incarnation of the group totally quit and formed Driven. The current incarnation (rather, the one that has until now been a quartet) re-recorded “Glory Ahead”, which was The Anchormen/Driven’s last project. I haven’t heard the re-release, so I can’t give an opinion on it, but if the Anchormen ex-quartet were anything like Anchormen/Driven, it was awesome.

Farewell, Anchormen Quartet, we hardly knew ye…

UPDATE: Seems like there’s an Anchormen Quartet after all! So says an anonymous commenter:

“… The Anchormen aren’t going anywhere…they’ll have a bass singer when they come back from the Christmas break. Karl, Keith and Robbie have been working as a trio for a few weeks, so the set list has had to be adjusted some. But what were they supposed to do, cancel all their dates until the new guy could be hired?… (And a number of groups have parked the expensive, gas-guzzling buses…don’t read more into that that good money management.)”

Ah, the wonders of Youtube.

I found these videos of some great quartets and such and figured y’all might enjoy them.

This is The Anchormen singing “It’s A Wonderful Day”

Gold City singing “Shouting Ground”

The Cathedrals singing “I’ve Just Started Living”

The Cathedrals singing “Standing On Holy Ground”

The Stamps singing “Some Dawning”

JD Sumner & The Stamps singing “His Hands”

Masters V singing “You Can’t Be A Beacon”

Apparently, all these videos are from 1990. Pretty cool stuff.