Kirk Franklin - The Rebirth Of Kirk Franklin
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CD Details
Artist: Kirk FranklinEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Live
CD Release Date: 2002-02-19
Music Label: Sony Legacy
Soundtracks:
- Intro
- Hosanna
- Caught Up
- 911
- The Blood Song
- Brighter Day
- My Life, My Love, My All
- Lookin' Out For Me
- He Reigns / Awesome God
- Interlude
- Don't Cry
- The Transition
- Always
- When I Get There
- Interlude
- Outro (The Blood)
- Throw Yo Hands Up - N/A
Music reviews of The Rebirth Of Kirk Franklin
Music Review: Solid effort, pleasantly surprised
Rating: 4 Stars
Kirk Franklin has been a paradoxical gospel musician over his releases prior to this one. On the one hand, he remains a gifted song writer with a sensitive ear who can accentuate the lover dimensions of a God who will "hold me" and "make my life brand new". His melodies aren't as harmonically intricate as some other gospel artists such as a James Hall, but there is a strength in his simplicity. As a songwriter, Kirk offers the best of what gospel music can offer.
Kirk has also evolved into a gospel industry and I feel that his songwriting and his message have been harder to separate from his desire to sell more units. Especially on his earlier Nu Nation project with guests like Bono from U2, Mary J Blige, and most regrettably, Dave Chappelle clowned R. Kelly, Kirk made it seem to me like he needed inspiration from questionable models to broaden his sound. When I saw how 1NC, the album before this one, was moving even closer to a Christian/Urban hybrid I stayed away from Kirk and moved towards more explicitly praise and worship artists such as Fred Hammond.
Rebirth of Kirk Franklin seems like an album that is designed to reconnect Kirk to his roots and reinspire his core following who were attracted to his sound on his first three albums. A live, probably predominantly black congregation in Texas, brings out some of his let's have church side. Songs such as "Hosanna" are very strong. Most gospel fans have heard the solid "Brighter Day" single and the slower numbers maintain an atmosphere of reverence that is appropriate for this setting.
There are some songs that make me scratch my head, though. "911" with TD Jakes is not my thing. Basically this is a conversation in rhyme between Kirk Franklin and TD Jakes that sounds a little forced to me. I guess some youth will be into Papa San's cameo on "He Reigns" but I feel that I'd prefer to a Jamaican gospel album than a hip-hop gospel song with some dance hall thrown in. It's a good song, but I think it would have been stronger without him. There's a bonus track with Toby from DC Talk where I am clearly not the intended audience. It's more Christian Rock + samples and a little bit of a more black sounding backbeat where I prefer the choir driven tunes on this album. Kirk does make his own story an explicit part of this album, from an introduction by his grandmother, to the conversation song with TD Jakes, to an explicit statement about how he thinks a lot of things have happened to him and now he wants this album to be focused on "The Ministry of Kirk Franklin" and the ministry of Christ to be his focus. I agree, but I don't see how making his autobiography and testimony the core part of that ministry is so necessary. I think he is capable of being a strong songwriter with an ear to urban radio and letting his lyrics and choir members speak for themselves.
I think listeners will be divided on the duet song with Donnie McClurkin on it. That track talks about how we all serve one God and it's tragic that race and culture divides Christians. Personally, the unique identity of the black church is a good thing at this moment in history for me and a message of racial integration in church is not central to my faith. I believe that black people need to focus on strengthening the progressive ministries of the church to address social problems and social gospel of better schools and poverty so that the unique gift of gospel music and survival in adversity can draw others to that church who are willing to stay true to its core values. Kirk remains eager to go beyond his core black Texas audience to get new listeners, though, and while I disagree with this artisically and culturally, I can't blame him for either trying to sell more records, his job as a recording artist, or expand his ministry when Christ inspired, his job of spreading the good news as a gospel musician.
A big suprise on this album for me was the horn section which was featured on several of the live tracks. Live horns have added some foundational funk to several recent gospel releases and the arrangements here are strong and the playing is tight.
I've greatly enjoyed this album over the several times I've listened to my borrowed copy and I'll probably buy this at some point. While Kirk and I still differ in some fundamental ways, I respect a man who has been through some ups and downs in the market and found the artistic and spiritual reserves to make a strong comeback.
4 stars
Description of The Rebirth Of Kirk Franklin
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