Gospel Quartet Collection, Vol. 1

As listeners could guess from the name of the label, Liquid 8 isn't one of the most careful preservers of the material in their vaults. Gospel Quartet Collection, Vol. 1, a two-disc collection with 13 performances by the Highway Q.C.'s and 12 by the Angelics (actually a trio), could easily have fit onto one disc, and in fact it comprises two separately released discs, Somewhere to Lay My Head and Touch Me Lord Jesus. This criticism is offset slightly by the budget price and by the material itself; both groups performed highly reverent and highly artistic gospel music, the Highway Q.C.'s being one of the most famous classic quartets of all time and the Angelics not only equaling them in talent but using a distinct configuration of men and women to broaden their sound. Highlights from the Highway Q.C.'s include the smooth and plaintive "Something on My Mind" and "Somewhere to Lay My Head," and from the Angelics, the boisterous "Do Lord Remember Me" stands out.