I first checked this one out having heard Mr. Griffith on the Andy Griffith Show and was quite impressed with his singing on the show and knew this was probably a must have CD.

...Andy is SO very reverent on this that it could make your hair stand on end and that isn't a joke. This is just absolutely beautiful.

... Andy Griffith takes no delves into operatic or "contemporary" spiritual. In keeping with his Southern roots, we find him doing the old rugged hymns of the South such as "A Little Talk with Jesus" & "Somebody Bigger Than You & I". The only break with tradition is "I'm Gonna Write A Song".

The instrumental backing is clearly Nashville Sound oriented, but that should come as no surprise when you examine the fact Billy Sherrill produced this.

If you buy one CD this year, make sure this is the one. This finds a spot that ranks with the gospel recordings of both Hank Williams, Elvis Presley and Mahalia Jackson. It's a shame this one is not better known.

Just listening to the first song on this album,"Somebody Bigger Than You and I", says it all. Andy Griffith's voice is surprisingly strong and is a shock to anyone who has only heard him sing folk songs on "The Andy Griffith Show". He also shows you he has a huge religious side to him. I'm surprised this album doesn't get more attention than it does. This album was released in 1972, after "The Andy Griffith Show", "Headmaster", and the extremely short-lived, hardly-heard-of "New Andy Griffith Show". After the last two shows listed flopped, Andy Griffith turned to mediums other than television, such as movies("Angel In My Pocket") and music, which obviously meant a great deal to him. He enjoyed doing this album so much that years later, after the long-running "Matlock" came to an end, he returned to the music scene again, recording "I Love To Tell The Story" and "Just As I Am". "I Love To Tell The Story" won a grammy. The well-known "Just A Little Talk With Jesus" is taken at a considerably faster tempo here, "Turn Your Radio On" is as lively and joyful as can be, and "I'll Fly Away" is just right. A must for gospel music lovers, and any Andy Griffith fan should look into it. Trust me, you'll love it.