Jesus Is the Key to the Kingdom continues Jim and Jesse McReynolds's substantial output of sacred recordings, this 1979 album following a long series of gospel projects that ran alongside their secular catalog throughout their career. "The Family Bible," associated with Willie Nelson and a staple of country gospel repertoire, is among the most recognizable pieces here, and the McReynolds treatment is warm and musically accomplished without being elaborate. Jesse's mandolin playing — always a technical highlight regardless of genre — adapts naturally to the slower tempos and devotional character of gospel material. Jim's lead singing carries the conviction of a musician for whom this repertoire is genuinely meaningful rather than merely commercial. The McReynolds brothers' contributions to the sacred bluegrass body of work deserve recognition as a coherent and honest part of their artistic legacy.
Tracklist
- 1 Cotton Mill Man 2:52
- 2 Please Be My Love 2:11
- 3 Blue Ridge Mountain Blues alt version 3:21
- 4 Live and Let Live alt version 2:39
- 5 Careless Love, Goodbye 2:48
- 6 It's A Long, Long Way To The Top Of The World 2:54
- 7 Just One Of A Kind 2:25
- 8 Old Love Letters alt version 2:34
- 9 As Long As The Wind Blows 3:15
- 10 Wishful Thinking 2:55
- 11 I Heard the Bluebirds Sing alt version 2:33
- 12 Rocky Top alt version 2:40
- 13 Alone With You 2:25
- 14 Mansion On The Hill 2:30
- 15 Everybody's Reaching Out For Someone 2:05
- 16 I'm A Lonesome Fugitive 3:01
- 17 Wreck of the Number Nine alt version 2:17
- 18 (I'm Changing The Words To) My Love Song 2:45
- 19 Ashes of Love alt version 2:22
- 20 When You Want A Little Lovin' 2:36
- 21 The Best Dressed Beggar In Town 2:26
- 22 Don't Ever Take Your Love From Me 2:46
- 23 Sundown And Sorrow 2:54
- 24 'Mid The Green Fields Of Virginia 2:35
- 25 Somewhere My Love 3:11
- 26 Jesus Is The Key To The Kingdom 2:24
- 27 Little White Church alt version 2:46
- 28 The Family Bible Source Recording 3:03
- 29 Walking My Lord Up Calvary Hill 2:48
- 30 Truth on the Mountain 3:06
- 31 The Family Who Prays (Never Shall Part) 2:20
- 32 On the Wings of a Dove alt version 2:13
- 33 Matthew 24 2:36
- 34 Born Again 2:18
- 35 Two Thousand Years Ago 4:25
- 36 River of Jordon 2:05
- 37 How Great Thou Art alt version 3:12
- 38 Heaven 2:38
- 39 Over in the Gloryland 2:15
- 40 Life is Like a Mountain Railway alt version 3:28
- 41 There's a Light Guiding Me 2:29
- 42 An Old Account Settled 2:32
- 43 Wait A Little Longer Please Jesus 2:53
- 44 Everybody Will Be Happy Over There 2:33
- 45 Great Speckled Bird alt version 2:56
- 46 We Are Climbing 2:13
- 47 When He Reached Down His Hand For Me alt version 3:09
- 48 Something Got A Hold Of Me 2:15
- 49 Amazing Grace alt version 2:57
- 50 I'll Rear My Harvest In Heaven 2:09
- 51 The Little White Church alt version
