Mike Bowling Collection - Mike Bowling - CD Review

Mike Bowling released a solo CD, Mike Bowling Collection, at the end of 2012. While most of the songs are previously released songs, for Mike Bowling fans it's a CD you'll want to add to your collection.

I'll confess I am not as familiar with Mike's solo projects as I am his most recent releases with the Bowling Family, but I've always been a huge fan of Mike's voice. I think he's one of the top male vocalists in the genre and has one of the most recognizable voices as well. So even though many of the songs were earlier releases, I was not familiar with some of them. I wouldn't necessarily consider it a "best of" project because you have some fan favorites and his most well-known songs that are missing, "Thank God for the Preacher" and "The Call" just to mention a couple.

While I'm confessing to you, I'll also be honest that on several "listen throughs" I was distracted trying to figure out who some of the background vocalists were. Still not sure if I could figure them out! :)

The new song on the project is "God in All Things." This song has a more worship feel for me, which I really enjoyed. Great addition to the CD to offer something new for listeners.

"He Loved Me Through It All" - Stylistically this one is a little different to me from others on the project. This is one of my favorites. I love the message of the song, and Mike does such a great job conveying the lyrics of this song. It can be easier to communicate lyrics on a ballad, but Mike does it just as well on this more uptempo track.

"I'll Be Alright as Soon as I Touch Calvary" - This one is actually being release to radio as a single for the Bowling Family. The strong country flavor of this song suites Mike perfectly. Kelly and Terah join Mike on the chorus for some great family harmonies.

 I wasn't familiar "Don't You Doubt" at all, in fact, I had to research to see if it was a previously recorded song or not. It was included on Mike's The Call project. Great song and one of my favorites. Another uptempo standout for me is "Tell It All."

Album Rating - 3.75 stars - I'm torn about song selection on this project. On one hand, I like that it's not the predictable "best of" Mike Bowling. It doesn't include his most well-known hits as a solo artist. But I also miss those songs a little bit on this project. However, I am glad that some songs I was not as familiar with got some extra attention and a new listen with this project. It's a definite one you'll want to pick up if you are a Mike Bowling fan. Also, for those who love country gospel, you will not want to miss it!

Song list:

1. "He'll Send a Miracle"
2. "Something Out of Nothing" **
3. "He Loved Me Through It All" **
4. "I'll Be Alright as Soon as I Touch Calvary" **
5. "Don't You Doubt" **
6. "From Heaven's Glory"
7. "Tell It All" **
8. "For My Good" **
9. "Homesick to Go"
10. "All That I Am"
11. "God In All Things" **

** Personal Favorites