Description
Mountain High… Valley Low is an album by the American gospel singer and songwriter Yolanda Adams, released on Elektra Entertainment Group in 1999, a Time Warner Company. The album was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (tracks 7, 8, and 11 – with James “Big Jim” Wright co-producing).
In her jump to general market label Elektra, Yolanda Adams finds herself exploring a greater musical depth without losing the focus of her five previous gospel albums. As a showcase for the Grammy-nominated singer’s consistently strong vocals, Mountain High… Valley Low gives Adams a chance to flex her hip-hop and R&B muscles while keeping one foot planted firmly in traditional gospel. Overall, the result is a very satisfying mix.
The album’s best work lies in beat-driven numbers such as opener «Time to Change». A thumping bed of drums and bass creates an infectious, gritty groove upon which Adams sketches a tale of three characters traveling destructive paths. Just as tasty is the R&B-flavored «Yeah», with Adams’ soaring improvisations over a sing-along chorus.
The singer loses a bit of her distinctiveness when she downshifts into generic pop balladry (such as «Fragile Heart»), but her animated takes of the more traditional gospel numbers «That Name» and «In the Midst of It All» – the latter complete with an extended vamp where she’s backed by a full choir – make up for that misstep. Super-producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis also weigh in with big contributions, most notably on the groove-oriented «Wherever You Are» and the disco-funk of «Already Alright».
Her presence on Elektra means that Adams will likely find herself with exposure to more general markets, and in that context Mountain High… Valley Low isn’t just a fine album, but also an ideal vehicle to introduce listeners to one of gospel’s best. [Anthony DeBarros, CCM, December 1999]
With the exception of the occasional U2 album it’s very rare for Cross Rhythms to get to review an album which has already clocked up a good half million sales. But such is the situation here with ‘Mountain High…Valley Low’ despite spending much of the last 12 months on the top of the American gospel charts has still to grace Britain’s Christian bookshops. Belatedly Atlantic/Eastwest have released it into the mainstream so those keen to catch up on Yolanda’s mega hit will have to brave the trials of their local groove merchant and rub shoulders with Eminem fans, Boyzone buffs and garage devotees. (No bad thing methinks.) But what of the music here? Well, first up the opener «Time To Change» is a slinkily produced piece of pop funk with the potential to become another Mary Mary crossover while «Continual Praise» recalls something of the Sounds Of Blackness with fiery choir riffing and hollering over some phat beats. It’s not all plain sailing however. «That Name», a Richard Smallwood penned ballad, has one of the most OTT arrangements since the last Steve Green album. But if you can forgive Yolanda’s occasional lapse into theatric bombast, one is again confronted with a diva who can holler down the pews as good as any of the legendary gospel matriarchs. So summing up, all the musical bases of the last 30 or so years of gospel, from holler ’em down storefront, to funky pop, to Vegas-style glitz, are covered here. As Cross Rhythms observed as far back as 1991, Yolanda is the possessor of fearsome vocal chops. It seems that finally the whole music world has come to recognise that fact. [Tony Cummings, Cross Rhythms, May 2001]
> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/mountain-high-valley-low/262065697)
CD tracklist:
01. Time To Change
02. Yeah
03. Fragile Heart
04. That Name
05. In The Midst Of It All
06. The Things We Do
07. Open My Heart
08. Wherever You Are
09. He’ll Arrive (Coming Back)
10. Continual Praise
11. Already Alright
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Elektra.
[youtube_sc url=”” playlist=”z-wND-8ui8o,rvFk7Q4MXxI,x2SNouFD2c4,uLFWCGp79Ic,SqGjIKEhRxo,_RRuvLsQ4tg,8p4sMV_N6jQ,GknsRuG8z8w,xLzUYnu6LpQ,E2SStABjttk,z1pP5ePgQ3s” title=”Yolanda Adams, Mountain High… Valley Low – Time To Change + Yeah + Fragile Heart + That Name + In The Midst Of It All + The Things We Do + Open My Heart + Wherever You Are + He’ll Arrive (Coming Back) + Continual Praise + Already Alright” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]
[youtube_sc url=”2aYzc0Z0Z8Q” title=”Yolanda Adams – Open My Heart (Video)” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.