From The Archives: A Truer Easter

Sorry about the lack of posts folks, just a weird time for me right now. In the meantime, enjoy some songs about Jesus that won’t make you fall asleep in the pew!

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Who says songs about Jesus have to suck. Here’s a good set of mostly straightforward gospel songs (mostly). First I want to talk about the cover image I used. Now these three crosses, exactly like those in the picture are all over this area….every road just about you will see them. They first started appearing around here in the mid to late 80’s and there were many local legends about them. These legends state that a local millionaire had a near death experience during which he had a vision of God who told him he would spare his life if he spent the rest of it building these wooden crosses and placing them beside highways. Other parts of the legend state that some folks didn’t take too kindly to these crosses being on their land or near their land or what have you and tried to tear them down. Supposedly one guys tractor suddenly caught on fire, one guy’s boat engine died and he was stranded in a lake. One guy even supposedly had a heart attack whilst trying to remove the wooden crosses. There were also stories of lightning striking them but nothing happening, and them surviving forest fires, floods and hurricanes.
Now I don’t know how true those last parts are, but a little research has confirmed that the man in question was indeed a succesful businessman from Craigsville, WV named Bernard Coffindaffer. He had a heart attack in 1982 which was when he recieved his holy vision and life’s mission. Pretty interesting stuff I thought.

Here is an article about his death in the NY Times

There is even an organization that carried on his mission after his death called “Christian Crosses

Here is some more history about Mr. Coffindaffer

Have a good Easter folks, and in the words of Billy Joe; “If you don’t love Jesus go to hell”

01 Ralph Stanley – Sing Songs About Jesus
02 The Dillards – Somebody Touched Me
03 Johnny Cash – Wildwood in the Pines
04 Ray Wylie Hubbard – When She Sang Amazing Grace (Live)
05 Billy Joe Shaver – Jesus Christ Is Still The King
06 The Byrds – Jesus Is Just Alright
07 Old Crow Medicine Show – God’s Got It
08 Uncle Tupelo – Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down
09 Link Wray – Backwoods Preacher Man
10 Tom T. Hall – Me and Jesus
11 The Gourds – Hallelujah Shine
12 Scott H. Biram – Only Jesus
13 Billy Joe Shaver – If You Don’t Love Jesus
14 Slobberbone – Trust Jesus
15 The Meat Purveyors – Working on a Building
16 Jim Lauderdale – I Met Jesus In A Bar
17 Bobby Bare – Dropkick Me Jesus
18 Steve Earle – Elijah’s Church
19 Scott Miller – Is There Room on the Cross for Me
20 Buddy Miller – This Old World
21 J. D. Souther – Jesus In 3/4 Time
22 Dillard and Clark – I Bowed My Head And Cried Holy
23 Earl Scruggs Revue -Gospel Ship
24 Ralph Stanley, Emmylou Harris – Great High Mountain
25 Johnny Cash – It Was Jesus
26 The Carter Family – Let the Church Roll On

MP3 @ 192
Download A Truer Easter here or here

  • Luke

    April 1st, 2010

    Reply

    Nice mix of tunes for The Man Upstairs, thanks.

  • Matt

    April 1st, 2010

    Reply

    Thanks man, just what I was looking for. BTW–There's apparently a doc out there somewhere on those crosses being put up. Pretty interesting, indeed.

  • Anonymous

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    Great mix, thanks. Hope everything chills out for ya soon.

  • captskitchen

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    Nice list, but you forgot terry allen's give me a ride to heaven. The best version done by Joe Ely

  • Dwight Schrutte

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    Hey thanks for this – I hope all is going well – Ive found a lot of great tunes on your site – Thanks
    I love good gospel stuff
    Should you ever do a Vol 2 I recommend
    Amazing Grace by Five Blind Boys
    She left me for Jesus – Hayes Carrl
    Jesus on the Mainline by either Ollabell or Ry cooder
    Jesus the missing years by John Prine
    or Todd sniders Jesus at the Tavern rap to make folks smile

  • Dwight Schrutte

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    Oa and thanks for the story of the crosses, I've seen them up and down the Rt 81 / route 11 corridor and never know who was behind them……….

  • Dwight Schrutte

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    Oh and thanks for the story behind the crosses. Ive seen them up and down the route 11 / route 81 corridor and never knew the story behind them…………..

  • Shaun Reid

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    Thanks for the story on the crosses. I spent a summer working near Beckley, WV. I noticed the crosses and asked about the significance of three of them and why they seemed to be all over. No one I asked knew the answer or even seemed to think anything of them.

  • oldfolkie

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    Another exemplary compilation ! Kudos !

    and shit,,,,, that track by Wylie Ray really kicked ass !

  • oldfolkie

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    'cuse me,,,,

    Ray Wylie.

  • Anonymous

    April 2nd, 2010

    Reply

    Thanks, as always. Have a nice Easter. Jim

  • Shango

    April 3rd, 2010

    Reply

    Thanks. Enjoy the easter weekend.

    I don't want to sound ungrateful, but isn't it Truesound-Spring-Time ;-)

  • Anonymous

    April 3rd, 2010

    Reply

    Ray Wylie Kid (the 12 year old) again.
    I left a comment with some links on the RW Free Music Alert post and another on the Steve Earle Radio post. Both said "comment will be visible after approval". Please tell me if you got them. Where did that version of Elijah's Church come from. The only version I know of is the poor quality 1975 demo from steveearle.net's audio section. If you have any other Steve from that source (it sounds like a live show) please post it. Also, I couldn't help but notice you had RWH's version of Redneck Mother from Off The Wall on the TX 1970-79. If you have any other songs from that album please post them. I would love to hear them because that sounds nothing like Ray (In 1975, his voice was as high as it ever was and today he is nowhere near as low as he was in 1978?). Thanks again.

  • Anonymous

    April 6th, 2010

    Reply

    Keep up the great posts and hope things turn out OK for the future

  • Ana Silva

    April 7th, 2010

    Reply

    super!

  • Anonymous

    April 11th, 2010

    Reply

    Thank you!

  • Anonymous

    April 17th, 2010

    Reply

    Thanks for the great posts. Don't know what's up, but I hope everything will be OK for you soon.

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