STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 15754-16555 LABEL: Milk & Honey 1037 FORMAT: 12 inch vinyl Album
Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
Released in 1981, this mixture of pop and rock has a smooth West Coast sound, fashionable with Christian music before the whole scene went east to Nashville in the '80s. MacDougall is a guitarist of some skill who is still making music today but back in the '70s and early '80s he was involved on the edges of the Christian scene in California playing as a guitarist for hire with some of the Solid Rock artists and many others. 'This Side Of Heaven' was the moment that he stepped into the spotlight and this album should have established him as a major artist. The album was Grammy nominated and picked up good reviews but for whatever reason, things did not pick up. This is sad because Beau's mix of blues, rock and pop influences deserved more attention. From the impact of the opening title cut and the bouncy power pop of "Smile" through the modern reworking of Proverbs 31 on "Virtuous Woman" to the funky groove of "Good News" and the gorgeous harmony work of Seawind's Pauline Wilson on "Cause I Fell In Love", this album's is packed with fine songs and production.
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