I’ve Been Freed

Description

Now available in digital format only.

Doug’s second solo album offers more passionate songs revolving around faith and love. Recorded while he was with Good News Circle. Better production values than the first album, more help from other professional musicians, and more elaborate orchestrations. Lyrics and notes were originally included.

Total playing time: 43:18

Basics

Produced by Michael Glenn (Kuzma). Music, lyrics, lead vocals, arrangements by Doug Howell. Recorded at Pinebrook, Alexandria IN in 1976. EDN 101, released 1977. Second run featured new cover art (for original, see left). Publishing later assigned to Creative Measures. Digitized from master tapes in 2006 at Solid Sound, Ann Arbor, MI and released on CD, remastered in Dec 2007. Now available in digital format only.

Playlist

See each song for lyrics and notes.

• I Just Wanna Talk About Jesus
• Daniel
• Make Me Just Like You
• Hide and Seek
• Earthbound
• Here I Am
• I’ve Been Freed
• Drivin’ Down the Road Song No. 1
• There’s a Difference (in the Way I Feel Today)
• Jesus Is Enough To Make Me Smile
• For You To Live
• Blessed Be His Name

Notes

See The Old Albums Revisited (2005)

Credits

Compositions, arrangements, lead vocals, keyboards/Doug Howell • Harmony vocals/Bobbi Page & Doug • Drums/Mark Minor & Doug • Electric bass/Mark Johnson • Acoustic, electric guitars/Dan “Wonderknucks” Leonhardt • Flutes/Greg Purdue & Pam Murphy • Alto flute, English horn/Greg Purdue • Trumpets, flugelhorns/Larry Leffler & Al Morrow • French horns/Greg Eichman & Michael Davis • Trombones/Arlen Wiseman & Dwight Kiger • Percussion/Steve Hanna • Harp/Pat Motovick • The Pinebrook Strings

Special thanks to the above musicians, who not only contributed their talents, but themselves.

Production & general inspiration/Michael Glenn (Kuzma) • Engineering & understanding/Chris Banninger, a special brother • Ass’t remix/Darrell Powell, Mike & Doug
Recorded at Pinebrook, Alexandria, IN • Thanks to Dan Posthuma for his constant support and concern (& to Crystal King for her sympathetic smile) • Mastering/Toby Foster, Los Angeles, CA • Pressing/Capitol Records, New Jersey • Jacket design/Mike & Doug • Photography/Mike • Aerial photo/Courtesy of Jerry Terris, Aerial Photo Co., Troy, MI • Photo lab work/Jack Wolak & Meteor Photo, Detroit, MI • Jacket fabrication/Rutgers Packaging, Indianapolis, IN • Color separations/Precision Colorplate, Plymouth, MI • Inset artwork/Bill Howison, Ann Arbor, MI

All compositions by Doug Howell except “For You To Live,” lyrics by Mark Minor

In the love of Jesus to R.S. All glory to God, who is my life and song.

Digitized from the original master tapes December, 2005, by World Class Tapes

Recording ℗ © Trinity Sound Corporation 1977, assigned to Creative Measures (ASCAP) • All songs ℗ © Trinity Sound Corporation 1976, assigned to Creative Measures (ASCAP)

Reviews

Do you remember singing…for the Ohio Baptist Convention? I want you to know that it meant the world to me! You inspired me so much. The songs that you write and sing are so beautiful—so easy to identify with. And the lyrics of every song…SUPER!!! I got your I’ve Been Freed album and have played it so often that I’m nearly ready for another. (That poor needle!) I love it… Jesus is so real in every note! Please start working on a songbook… —B. M., Marion OH

Life is in that recording [I’ve Been Freed]. Most [other recordings] are just productions, but it is evident your hearts were there. May you never lose that quality. —R.R., Dallas TX

I’’’ve Been Freed has some decent songs, although it’s not quite as memorable overall as Bluer Than It’s Ever Been.  The addition of sweeping strings, horns and woodwinds on some tracks doesn’’’t seem to hurt the album any. Nice use of flute and female harmony vocals. More samplings of Howell’’’s trademark melancholy piano ballads, including ‘“Daniel’,” “‘Earthbound’,” ‘“Here I Am”’ and ‘“For You To Live’.” Smooth lighthearted pop comes in the form of ‘“Hide And Seek’,” “‘Jesus Is Enough To Make Me Smile”’ and the title track, the latter pleasantly surprising us with a rockin‘’ fuzz riff courtesy of guitarist Dan Leonhardt. Lyric sheet with song commentary included. By the way that’‘s the same Eden label as the brilliant Shekinah LP. —Ken Scott, the Archivist

Last winter my roommate bought a copy of Bluer…, which really blessed me. Then a couple months ago a friend gave me a copy of I’ve Been Freed, which really blessed me! Some of the cuts on this said exactly the things I’d been experiencing. Reading your album notes was like playing a tape of my own thoughts and feelings. It was a very rude awakening and it’s hard to accept and really learn that unless Jesus is first in my life and I’m trusting Him to meet all of my needs, no relationship or circumstance is going to work out right. Thank you for sharing some things that must have been very difficult to share, especially difficult to learn. —M. M., Springfield OH

I listen to a lot of Christian music… I received your album I’ve Been Freed about a year ago. I discovered a lot of meaning that touched me in a special way. Yours was the first album that seemed to say “Christians have problems, they get hurt, they choose wrong goals and they disobey God. I know, I’ve been there, but God still loves me.” This was a special and much needed message for me. Since then that record has passed thru many hands. It is worn and sscratched but still loved. Most of my friends have borrowed it for about 4 months. I listen to it once or twice and then send it out again. It has done a lot of ministering for one record… —S. W., Ventura CA

I’ve been listening to your I’ve Been Freed tape and I was thinking how much the songs express what I feel now or what I have felt in the past. “Daniel” is very similar to my life because I’ve known Jesus for fifteen years and been slapping His fact, too… —C. L., St. Joseph MO