I once coined a phrase called “WayneWatsonitis.” I used it in retail to describe artists that everyone loved their songs, but no one knew there name. It happened when I took my sister to see Wayne Watson at Melodyland in Southern California (across the street from Disneyland). She mentioned before the concert that she was unfamiliar with Watson, but midway through the concert leaned over and said, “I know every one of these songs!” Watson is a prolific artists with mountains if hits, popular church songs and some actual classics and yet is often forgotten when discussing the best of late 70’s and 80’s music. Many may remember his truly classic, “Touch of the Master’s Hand” or even the popular wedding song, “Somewhere in the World” that appears here, but his legacy is much broader and more impactful. This album brought Watson into the mainstream of CCM, moving from a smaller label to Dayspring Records and receiving distribution from mega company Word. But the album is filled with radio favorites and many songs that lasted for decades. “Narrow Way” starts of the album with a safe, CCM pop radio hit. But it was “Lookin’ Out for Number One” that KYMS jumped on and made it into a monster hit. Upbeat and approachable it became the song that brought Watson into the forefront in Southern California. It also allowed the follow up single to become the classic it is now regarded as. “Somewhere in the World” could have easily been just another song about parenting until listeners discovered it was a song about praying for the future spouse of their own child. The emotional chord it struck would only be duplicated a few years later by a song like “Butterfly Kisses.” It became a wedding classic and sold truck loads of accompaniment tracks. Even typing to this as I listen I am struck by the emotional tug that hopefully someone out there is praying for my own young daughter to be the Godly woman fit for their Godly son. The sentiment is emotional, but authentic, and I believe why it struck such a powerful chord with listeners. The album bounces between mid-tempo pop rock and stirring, inspirational ballads. But Watson’s vocals are so pure and naturally emotive that even the most formulaic CCM numbers never come across as trite. It’s fair to say that Watson possessed a voice that ranks among the best in CCM. Most of the album fits quite nicely within the framework of the CCM world at the time and served as a wonderful set up for his classic album that would follow (to be discussed much later).
Contributor David Lowman – https://legacyccmsgreatestalbums.wordpress.com/
Tracklist
1 – The Narrow Way – 4:05
2 – Lookin’ Out For Number One – 3:08
3 – Heart Of Hearts – 3:57
4 – Peace That Passes Understanding – 4:02
5 – Somewhere In The World – 3:29
6 – Giants In The Land – 4:18
7 – Born In Zion – 4:23
8 – Look Me In The Heart – 3:16
9 – Changed In A Moment – 3:07
10 – Holiness – 3:52
Credits
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Greg Jennings
Arranged By – Phil Naish
Arranged By [Strings] – Alan Moore
Arranged By, Keyboards [Electronic] – Shane Keister
Art Direction – Buddy Jackson, Jackson Design
Bass Guitar – Mike Brignardello
Drums, Electronic Drums, Programmed By [Percussion] – Dennis Holt
Engineer [Assistant] – Alan Henry, Bill Whittington, Chris Hammond, Danny Mundhenk, J.T. Cantwell, Keith Penney
Executive-Producer – Neal Joseph
Keyboards [Electronic & Moog Bass Lines] – Phil Naish
Mastered By – Doug Sax
Percussion – Terry McMillan
Photography By – Mark Tucker
Producer, Arranged By – Wayne Watson
Producer, Engineer, Mixed By – Scott Hendricks
Saxophone [Solo] – Sam Levine
Strings – The Nashville String Machine
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Word, Inc.
Copyright © – Word, Inc.
Recorded At – Bullet Recording
Recorded At – OmniSound Studios
Mixed At – Bullet Recording
Mastered At – The Mastering Lab
