"One Voice"
Reviewed by David Batterson
My introduction to Billy--like with many others--was when I saw/heard his
remarkable "Roly Poly" rendition. As I don't generally listen that much
to country music, I forgot about him until his appearance on "The Tonight
Show" with Jay Leno. I am so thankful I watched Leno that night.
At that time I knew nothing about the "One Voice" single and hadn't seen
the video. So I didn't know what the song was about. But it didn't matter
as it totally blew me away, and had me in tears before it was halfway
through. I knew then that Billy was someone quite special--a major talent
being thrust upon the world.
I bought the CD and soon discovered that Billy is definitely NOT a one-hit
wonder--like so many singers over the years have turned out to be. Billy
is already an artist, and he will only get better. He has a gift, and he
knows where it comes from. In his "Thank You" liner notes, he ends with:
"P.S. Thank you God for this gift."
The "One Voice" CD album consists of 10 tracks and a bonus one; it is
produced by heavyweights Blake Chancey, Don Cook and David Malloy. They
put together a wonderful collection of songs, backed up by exquisite
Nashville musicians and backup singers.
The first song people will listen to on the album--I was no exception--is
"One Voice," by David Malloy and Don Cook. It's a song that moves you, no
matter how many times you hear it. It seems to be a simple song, but Billy
hits you with a ton of bricks when he sings it. When you have finished
hearing it, it doesn't matter if you are a religious person or not. You WILL
be deeply moved. If not, you better check your pulse because you are dead.
My second fave song on the album is a tie: "Oklahoma" and "Spend Another
Night." I was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so "Oklahoma" instantly caught my
attention. Again, I had no idea of its content, but once again, it didn't
matter. Billy has you involved from the first few words of "Oklahoma."
And once again, before the end you are reaching for the tissue box, as
you can visualize what's happening as if you are watching a video or movie.
"Spend Another Night" by David Malloy and Skip Ewing is one beautiful love
song. You might think a boy 12 years old [actually 11 when it was recorded]
couldn't possibly find the maturity and emotional commitment to sing such a
song. You would be completely wrong. Billy sings this song as if he were a
man of 40. It is an incredible performance. When he sings "there's no
denying that I love you" in one part, it is powerful, breathtaking and 100
percent believable.
"The Snake Song" is a cute and funny song about a snake falling in love with
a garden hose; it gave me a good laugh. "There's A Hero" (1987) is another
inspirational/motivational song that covers familiar territory. It conveys
what we need to hear more often. We all have the power and ability to do so
much more with our lives:
"Go on and trust yourself
Cause you can ride the wind
You're gonna take your dreams
Where they've never been" *
"Little Things" (written by Bobby Goldsboro in 1964), "Little Bitty Pretty
One" (a 1957 song) and "I Wanna Get To Ya" are fun and bouncy, but were not
among my favorites. Your taste may differ. "I Think She Likes Me" is the
type of song most of us can relate to: either it's reality or just wishful
thinking on your part about another person you're attracted to.
"What's Forever For" is a 1978 song we've heard many times over the years.
Billy does a very pleasant version of it, and you won't be disappointed. The
album's bonus cut is "'Til I Can Make It On My Own," the inspirational
song written by George Richey, Billy Sherrill and Tammy Wynette in 1976.
When Billy finishes singing it, you think that he was the one who wrote it!
The overall theme of "One Voice" is rather basic: love, caring, fun and
belief in oneself. These are universal values that serve us well. I give
"One Voice" 5 stars out of 5, and can't wait for the next CD. Billy Gilman is
definitely "One Voice" in a million.
###
David Batterson is a freelance writer for several publications.
* © 1987 Sony/ATV Tunes LLC dba Cross Keys Publishing Co. (ASCAP) Sony/ATV
Songs LLC dba Tree Publishing Co. (BMI) All Rights Reserved.
NOTE: David is a freelance writer and has copyrighted
his review, he has requested that it NOT be used on any other sites,
please respect his wishes and do not use it. David's review has also been
published in the Desert Post Weekly.
© 2000 David Batterson All Rights Reserved (08/03/00)
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