(c)1991 Warner Alliance

This album marked the self-titled solo debut of Michael English. Having started as part of his family's gospel group The Singing Samaritans; in 1980 upon his graduation from high school English moved to the Southern Gospel group The Singing Americans for 2 years (using the short form of Mike for a time), briefly jumping to the Happy Goodmans from 1982-83 before returning to the Singing Americans from 1983-85. Soon afterwards, English - already becoming a bit of a journeyman in Southern Gospel circles - then moved to lead vocalist in the Gaither Vocal Band (after previous lead vocalist Gary McSpadden moved to the baritone spot), remaining with the group until 1994.

Around 1990; Bill Gaither then encouraged English to try recording a solo album; and the following year he would release his solo debut on the Warner Alliance label and with a somewhat more contemporary sound that fit his vocal stylings (somewhat similar to Michael Bolton). The album, largely on the strength of "Mary, Did You Know"; "In Christ Alone", "Solid as the Rock" and "His Heart is Big Enough" would see English win both Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the 1992 Dove Awards.

English would release a follow-up album titled "Hope" in 1993 and picked up 4 Doves at the 1994 ceremony; including Artist of the Year. However, a week later English would return the awards following a major scandal when it was revealed that English and Marabeth Jordan, a member of the group First Call (which English was touring with), had been cheating on their respective spouses with each other and that Jordan was pregnant with English's child (which was subsequently lost due to a miscarriage). After Warner Alliance dropped him; English then dabbled in a pop career following the use of his song "Healing" (a duet with Wynonna Judd) appearing in the movie "Silent Fall" (about an autistic boy who had witnessed the murder of his parents), releasing one secular release, 1996's "Freedom" before slowly re-entering the Southern Gospel field; working as a producer for the Martins for their 1996 and 1997 releases, both of which won Southern Gospel Album of the Year awards and also appearing as part of a Singing Americans reunion (the group had retired in 1994); later releasing a handful of solo projects and disclosing that English had also been battling an addiction to painkillers. English would eventually marry again, release a 2007 autobiography titled "The Prodigal Comes Home" and even return to the Gaither Vocal Band from 2009-13 (save for a stint in 2010 while recovering from neck surgery) and being inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

TRACKLIST
1. Solid as the Rock (per TopChristianHits, was the 28th most played song on CCM radio for 1991)
2. Mary, Did You Know (this Christmas classic, penned by Buddy Greene and English's longtime Gaither Vocal Band colleague Mark Lowry {probably the singer/comedian's most famous serious work} would peak at #6 on the CCM Magazine AC charts for 1991 and would be covered by artists ranging from Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd to Clay Aiken to {surprisingly} CeeLo Green and most recently, a pair of 2020 recordings by Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton; with Lowry recording the song on several occasions himself, most notably on the 1998 Gaither Vocal Band release "Still the Greatest Story Ever Told")
3. Do You Believe in Love
4. In Christ Alone (peaked at #12 on TopChristianHits' airplay chart for 1992. The Don Koch-Shawn Craig classic would also be recorded in 2006 by the Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell as a bonus track on his "Welcome Home" album as well as by Marty Nystrom on the 1993 Integrity release of the same name. The song gained notice outside of the music world when the chorus was referenced by then-Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Frank Reich when Reich - subbing for injured Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly - led the Bills to a 41-38 overtime victory over the Houston Oilers in an AFC wild-card game on January 3, 1993 in a game known as "The Comeback" due to the Bills trailing 35-3 early in the 3rd quarter {this was why I waited until uploading a copy of that game on Saturday to upload this}. Reich - by this time head coach of the Indianapolis Colts; a job he held until he was fired today - would again quote the chorus during a postgame press conference in 2021 after the Colts defeated his old team, the Bills, 41-15)
5. Take the Time (51st most played song on CCM radio for 1992 and one of two songs English was involved in writing, teaming with Geoff and Becky Thurman {incidentally; both of the songs English played a role in writing were on the end of what would have been Side 1 and Side 2 of a cassette copy})
6. Start a Party (#65 on TopChristianHits radio list for 1992)
7. Let's Build a Bridge
8. His Heart is Big Enough
9. Love Won't Leave You (Out in the Rain)
10. Heaven (the other song English co-wrote; working with Bob Farrell {of Farrell & Farrell} and Dawn Thomas Yarborough {a veteran songwriter whose songs had been recorded by Sandi Patty and Shirley Caesar among others; later dabbling in country music and changing her legal name to Constant Change}; this song per TopChristianHits was the 89th most played song on CCM radio for '92)

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