Michael w Smith , A New Hallelujah Review

MAY 23,2010

Wow. Michael W. Smith along with 12,000 worshippers!
Sorry for writing a Review since the album came out august 2009
he is still touring on the cd and getting many great reviews
Join Michael W. Smith, 12,000 worshippers and a 250-voice choir and friends Israel Houghton, Coalo Zamorano and The African Children’s Choir also contribute vocals and passion to this monumental night of worship.

Experience the electricity of the mood, the moving music and the insights of one of CCM's most-loved recording artists and worship leaders as he guides hearts into passionate praise. A New Hallelujah - The Live Worship DVD features all of the songs from A New Hallelujah CD, plus four new tracks & behind-the-scenes footage.

Track Listing:

1. Intro
2. Prepare Ye The Way
3. A New Hallelujah
4. When I Think Of You
5. Mighty To Save
6. Shout Unto God
7. Amazing Grace/ My Chains Are Gone
8. Deep In Love With You
9. Healing Rain/ Let It Rain
10. Majesty
11. I Surrender All
12. Grace
13. Michael W Smith Sharing
14. Help Is On The Way
15. The River Is Rising


Michael W. Smith



A live performance is a definite asset in the genre of worship, especially in DVD format, where the sight of a sea of raised hands enhances the shared sense of a church community. This month, Michael W. Smith releases the companion high definition DVD to last year’s live CD, A New Hallelujah, already nominated for the Dove Award category “Praise & Worship Album of the Year.” MWS may as well stand for “Makes Worship Simple.“ This live album works better as a DVD than a CD: the songs, mostly original and mostly less than extraordinary, are elevated to a higher level thanks to the visual energy and excitement of a live performance infused with Smith’s charisma.

The DVD was recorded live with 12,000 people in a Houston, Texas venue that’s almost too big for comfort; when the camera pans back to reveal the oval-shaped arena, it’s more like watching the Superbowl than experiencing an intimate moment between a congregation and God. Fortunately, the photographers quickly bounce back to the warmth of the stage, providing good close-ups of the choir, band members, instruments, and details such as guitar picks lined up on Smith‘s mike stand like tiny shark fins.

The DVD follows the CD very closely, supposedly with the addition of four new tracks, according to publicity releases, although “A New Hallelujah (Reprise)” is not really so very new – we already heard it early on in the concert. There are three new faces in the lineup. “Love in His Right Hand” is an okay piano ballad, while “Oh Draw Me Lord (Draw Me Near)” is a simple praise tune featuring violin and a refreshing female lead. “Oh draw me near oh draw me near oh draw me near / And I’ll run after You” (“Oh Draw Me Lord (Draw Me Near.)”) “Siwano” is a short, foreign-tongue ditty sung by the African Children’s Choir from Uganda, spiced up nicely with a few children playing hand drums. The children’s choir, a marginal addition to the CD, adds a lot of visual impact to the DVD, with purple and orange robes, coordinated dance moves, and cherubic, gaps-in-their-teeth smiles.

The hypnotic drum intro, with Smith and two others playing rack toms under a waterfall of stage lights, is a visual and audio moment reminiscent of Blue Man Group, but if you want to hear the rumble with your belly button, you have to play the song on a system equipped with a decent subwoofer. Familiar tunes “Mighty to Save” and “Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone” suit Smith’s vocal style well, while guest Coalo Zamorano sings “I Surrender All“ with a rich timbre that makes every note melt like butter. However, “Shout Unto God,” its flatline melody somewhat revived by exciting visuals, is better on DVD versus CD. Similarly, the mediocre “When I Think of You” comes alive with the added visual dimension of children swaying and dancing.

Fans might be disappointed with the 13 minute “Behind the Scenes” special feature consisting of informal clips, often shot with a disturbingly spotty camera lens, of various staff and equipment. It has a homemade feel rather than documentary, and doesn’t add much insight into Smith’s motivations or character.

A New Hallelujah is not a fancy DVD with spectacular effects, but rather a nice overview that imparts the experience of having “been there” at this worship event. The blue-eyed Smith, remarkably fit in his 5th decade and looking a little like Pat Boone‘s long lost son, wears the same simple blue shirt and jacket throughout the concert. Smith appears to eschew “stardom.” Like the DVD, like the concert/worship experience, like the songs he writes and sings, Smith seems content to let God be the audience and the music be the star of the show. And that’s enough for 90 minutes of inspiration and entertainment.


Been a fan of michael for a long time through out is career and would have to say
the cd and dvd is a must for fans and personally one of my best that he has done




LATELY
Christian Music News - CMSpin

Following a successful run in 12 European countries over the summer, GRAMMY® award-winning and multi-Platinum selling artist Michael W. Smith will bring his “New Hallelujah World Tour” to the U.S. this fall. Traveling to major markets across the nation in October and November, the tour will feature some very special guests including renowned artist/worshipper Matt Maher, “American Idol” alum Phil Stacey and new artist/worship leader Meredith Andrews.

“The ‘New Hallelujah World Tour’ has taken us all over the U.S., Canada and Europe,” Smith says. “This last leg will bring us back to the States and I’m excited about the artists traveling with me. Matt Maher, Phil Stacey and Meredith Andrews are all artists whose music I really enjoy personally, but they’re also artists I respect because they each have something special to share. I’m thrilled to be sharing the stage with them.”

Kicking off Oct. 22, in Orlando, Fla., the “New Hallelujah World Tour” will introduce a new element to the U.S. tour dates by adding local voices from the community. Each concert will feature a mass community choir comprised of local vocalists and choir members from multiple churches throughout the surrounding area. The choirs will join Smith as he performs classic fan favorites as well as music from his award-winning album A New Hallelujah (10/28/2008) and A New Hallelujah – The Live Worship DVD (3/17/2009).

The “New Hallelujah World Tour” will be sponsored PraiseHymn.com. A pioneer in the accompaniment track industry, Praise Hymn Tracks was introduced in 1988 and now celebrates two decades of providing music to accompany millions of hymn and contemporary worship singers. The company recently unveiled the new PraiseHymn.com website, a comprehensive source of music and interaction for singers. The site offers Praise Hymn’s catalog of nearly 5,000 Christian titles – from out-of-print songs to the latest radio hits – both via download and physical product shipping. It also serves as a multi-faceted interactive experience for vocalists both casual and professional. And, consistent with past tours, this fall segment will also focus on Smith’s long-time ministry partner Compassion International (www.compassion.com).

It’s been a busy year for Smith, who kicked off 2009 co-headlining the highly-successful “United Tour” with friend and fellow artist Steven Curtis Chapman. In April, Smith’s A New Hallelujah album won the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for Praise & Worship Album of the Year and Inspirational Song of the Year (title track). The summer brought the European leg of the “New Hallelujah World Tour,” and Smith has since been performing at a number of high-profile events across the country. Most recently he has been a featured performer at all eight of Sean Hannity’s “2009 Freedom Concerts,” which have also featured Billy Ray Cyrus, Charlie Daniels, Lee Greenwood and Oliver North.

Matt Maher joins the tour each night as musical host of the concert’s first half, and in support of his brand new sophomore release Alive Again (Sept. 22), on Essential Records. The 12-song album, produced by Christopher Stevens (Delirious, tobyMac) and Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, CompassionArt), features Maher’s addictive organic-pop sound. Audiences will know him best for his breakout composition “Your Grace Is Enough,” which has become a worship standard in Sunday morning church services worldwide.

Billboard magazine hailed Meredith Andrews as one of 2008’s “Faces to Watch,” when she released her debut worship project, The Invitation, on Word Records last year. The album featured the hit single “You’re Not Alone,” which vaulted to No. 1 on R&R’s Inspirational Chart and became a Top 5 hit on the Christian AC Chart. The album also garnered two 2009 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards for Worship Song of the Year and Praise & Worship Album of the Year. Andrews is sure to wow audiences with her soaring vocals as she performs some of the self-penned selections from her debut release.

“American Idol” Season 6 Top 5 finalist Phil Stacey recently finished recording his new 11-track album Into the Light (Aug. 25), which showcases his acclaimed power vocals and songwriting chops. Produced by Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Mandisa, Steven Curtis Chapman), Into the Light artfully taps Stacey’s longtime love for the church and is his first modern pop offering on Reunion Records.


feel free to write your comments on the cd and Dvd and his latest project