| The Hymns Sessions, Vol. 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 10, 2013 | |||
| Length | 40:44 | |||
| Label | Independent | |||
| Producer | Jimmy Needham | |||
| Jimmy Needham chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Hymns Sessions, Vol. 1 was the first hymns album by contemporary Christian musician Jimmy Needham, released independently by Needham through NeedHim Music on September 10, 2013, and it was produced by Needham. The album has seen commercial charting successes, as well as garnered critical acclamation.
The album was released by NeedHim Music on September 10, 2013, which was his independent label, and this was also produced by Jimmy Needham.
At Jesus Freak Hideout, Timothy Estabrooks wrote that this was a "fairly brief ten tracks, two of which are Needham originals", yet "as a simple hymns project, it's really quite good and offers some unique ideas among today's worship genre." [1] Furthermore, Estabrooks said that the song "Christos Anesti" was not "a great introduction to the album, as it doesn't reflect the style of the other nine tracks and Needham's voice isn't particularly suited to its more traditional sound. Fortunately, the remainder of the album is excellent." [1] Jonathan Andre at Indie Vision Music stated that this release was one of those "hymns projects with the artist’s personal music and lyrical twist!" [2]
At The Christian Manifesto, Lydia Akinola wrote that Needham "has the talent of a true artist, being able to work with an assortment of styles and sounds, and making them each his own." Jono Davies at Louder Than the Music said that "What Jimmy has done with this release is be honest to himself", which was because "He has produced these songs how he would have recorded them if he had written them today." [3] At Christian Music Zine, Joshua Andre wrote that "Jimmy must be doing something right in hymn writing, perhaps a few more originals on Volume 2?" [4] Grace S. Aspinwall wrote that Needham has a voice that "lends itself nicely to some well-arranged hymns". [5] The Phantom Tollbooth's Michael Dalton stated that stylistically the music was a broad spectrum encompassing everything from dance, jazz, soul and even industrial. [6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| CCM Magazine |   [5] |
| The Christian Manifesto | [7] |
| Christian Music Review | [8] |
| Christian Music Zine | 4.25/5 [4] |
| Indie Vision Music | [2] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [1] |
| Louder Than the Music | [3] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | [6] |
The Hymns Sessions, Vol. 1 garnered critical acclaim by music critics to critique the album. At Jesus Freak Hideout, Timothy Estabrooks wrote that the release was "one of the better cover albums done by a CCM artist in recent memory." [1] In addition, Estabrooks noted that "This album may not garner a lot of attention" that it should get because it was meant as a "bonus reward for Needham's most loyal fans", however Estabrook felt that "Needham deserves credit for his effort on this release, and hopefully the listening public will notice." [1] Jonathan Andre of Indie Vision Music affirmed that this was "an album that’s great if you enjoy hymns, yet also great if you enjoy 50s and 60s music as well", and wrote "Well done Jimmy for such a poignant and compelling album that’ll hopefully encourage listeners to rediscover hymns and their childhood". [2] At The Phantom Tollbooth, Michael Dalton wrote that the album made "subsequent volumes [...] worth having", and that listeners "don't have to like hymns to appreciate these creative versions." [6]
At The Christian Manifesto, Lydia Akinola felt that "what Jimmy Needham has done is nothing short of incredible", and wrote that Needham was "Capturing the enduring essence of a globally- known hymn, whilst stamping your own creative signature on it, is difficult. Doing it as expertly as Needham did – that is remarkable." [7] Jono Davies of Louder Than the Music highlighted that "This must be complimented" because this was "A wonderful collection of hymns recorded by a wonderful vocalist." [3] At Christian Music Zine, Joshua Andre said "Well done Jimmy for recording an album full of hope, truth and life." [4] Jay Heilman of Christian Music Review proclaimed that "It was everything I expected and more from a Jimmy Needham release." [8] However, CCM Magazine's Grace S. Aspinwall stated that listeners should still find some sense of satisfaction in a good album of musical diversity, which she noted was a "unique compilation." [5]
For the Billboard charting week of September 28, 2013, The Hymns Sessions, Vol. 1 was the No. 11 most sold Top Christian Album in the United States.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christos Anesti" | 1:17 | |
| 2. | "The Gospel" | Jimmy Needham | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Rock of Ages" | Augustus Toplady | 3:12 |
| 4. | "Come Thou Fount" | John Wyeth | 3:51 |
| 5. | "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" (featuring Kevin Jones) | Thomas Crishholm | 3:43 |
| 6. | "How Great Thou Art" (featuring Trip Lee) | Carl Boberg | 5:16 |
| 7. | "Holy Holy Holy" (featuring Shane & Shane) | Reginald Heber | 3:44 |
| 8. | "Joyful Joyful" | Henry van Dyke | 5:22 |
| 9. | "It Is Well" | Philip Bliss, Horatio Spafford | 5:29 |
| 10. | "It Is Finished" | Needham | 4:55 |
| Total length: | 40:44 | ||
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Christian Albums (Billboard) [9] | 11 |
Christmas in Diverse City is TobyMac's first full-length Christmas album and fifth full-length studio album. It was released on October 4, 2011.
I Choose Jesus is the first studio album by contemporary Christian musician Moriah Peters, released on April 17, 2012 by Reunion Records.
Homemade Worship by Handmade People is the second studio album released by Christian contemporary worship music band Rend Collective Experiment on 10 January 2012, and the album was released and published under the Kingsway Music label.
Light Up the Sky is the third studio album and fourth album overall from contemporary Christian music band The Afters, which the producer on the album is Dan Muckala, and was released on September 14, 2010 by INO Records. This album has seen some commercial and critical success.
Clear the Stage was the fourth studio album from Christian contemporary Christian musician Jimmy Needham, which was released on March 27, 2012 by Inpop Records, and was produced by Ed Cash and Jimmy Needham. The album has seen commercial charting successes, as well as, positive critical attention.
Blue Mountain is the fourth studio album by contemporary Christian musician Brandon Heath. It was released on October 9, 2012, through Reunion Records. The album has had success on the chart, as has the song "Jesus in Disguise".
The Heartbeat is the first studio album by Bellarive, and the album released on June 19, 2012 by Sparrow Records. The album was produced by Bellarive and Joshua Silverberg. The album debut at No. 21 and No. 17 on the Christian and Heatseekers albums charts, respectively. The lead single from the album is "Taste of Eternity". "Love Has Found Us", "Sing", "Shine On" and "Stories" were previously included on the band's debut EP, The Being Human Project...Start Listening.
The Becoming was the debut studio album from contemporary Christian musician Jenny Simmons, which was produced by Paul Moak, and released on February 5, 2013 by Fair Trade Services. The album has seen commercial charting successes, as well as positive critical reception from music critics.
The Acoustic Sessions: Volume One is a studio album by American contemporary Christian music band Casting Crowns of re-recorded, acoustic renditions of the band's songs that contains worship music elements. This album was released on January 22, 2013 through Beach Street and Reunion Records, and produced by Mark A. Miller. This album received mostly positive reviews from critics.
All the People Said Amen is the first compilation album by contemporary worship music recording artist Matt Maher, released on April 23, 2013. It is his fourth album with Essential Records, and his seventh overall release. The album was produced by Matt Maher and Paul Moak.
Bring Your Nothing is the eighth studio album by the Contemporary worship duo Shane & Shane. The album was released on May 14, 2013 by Fair Trade Services record label.
Overcomer is the fifth studio album by contemporary Christian music singer Mandisa. The album was released on August 27, 2013 on Sparrow Records. The album has achieved commercial charting successes, as well as critical acclaim by music critics. It also won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.
Radiate is the second studio album by American contemporary Christian musician Tricia, released on August 13, 2013 by Inpop Records. The album has seen commercial charting success, as well as, positive critical attention.
Heart is the second studio album from Christian rock band The City Harmonic, which was released on September 3, 2013 through Integrity Media, and was produced by the band in association with Jared Fox. It received a nomination for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2014, but lost to Trees by Tim Neufeld.
1 Girl Nation is the eponymous debut studio album by contemporary Christian music girl band 1GN, which was released on the Reunion Records label on August 20, 2013, and was produced by Casey Brown, Jason Ingram, Joshua Silverberg, Jonathan Smith, Jon White and Kipp Williams. The album has been met with commercial charting successes and positive criticism.
God of Every Story is the third studio album by Contemporary Christian musician Laura Story, which the album was released by Fair Trade Services on September 30, 2013, and the producer of the album was Ed Cash. The album has seen commercial charting successes, as well as, it has garnered positive reception from music critics.
Royal Tailor is the eponymously named second and final studio album from Christian pop rock band Royal Tailor. It was released on October 22, 2013 by Essential Records, and was produced by Chuck Butler, Aaron Lindsey and Christopher Stevens. The album was well received by Christian music critics, and is Royal Tailor's highest charting release to date.
Christmas Is Here is a holiday studio album from Christian Contemporary Christian musician Brandon Heath, released on October 15, 2013 by Reunion Records and produced by Ben Shive. The album achieved commercial success and critical acclaim.
Oh for Joy is the first holiday studio album and tenth album overall from Christian rock group David Crowder Band, and was produced by the band as well. The album was released on October 4, 2011 by sixstepsrecords, and has attracted generally positive critical attention.
Invisible Empires is the seventh studio album and tenth album overall from Christian singer and songwriter Sara Groves, and it released on October 18, 2011 by Fair Trade and Columbia Records. The producers on the album were Steve Hindalong and Stephen Leiweke. This release became critically acclaimed and commercially successful.