The latest part of the ongoing series chronicling, in no particular order, the greatest 1001 recordings made by Christian artists

297. THE NEWSBOYS - YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE, 2006. From the album 'Go', Inpop.
After those rather dull worship albums the Boys returned with 'Go', their rockiest and wittiest release for years. And with the short lived addition of Paul Colman they added a new songwriting and vocal talent to their armoury. This song has lead vocals from Mr Colman as he intones in a spoken monologue some of the numerous things he doesn't know. With the thick Australian accent resembling, to these ears at least, Cockney the whole thing almost has a Chas & Dave flavour while the repeated "I dunnos" take us hilariously into the telling chorus "Your love is better than life/Without your love it's all a mindless routine." It soars and then builds into overlapping passage of chorus and monologue with scintillating electronic effects. One of the cleverest cuts ever. Is it ministry or is it a show?. . . I dunno.
Tony Cummings

298. ANDY HUNTER - STARS, 2008. From the album 'Colour', Nettwerk.
In view of his success both with dancefloor grooves and film music for Bristol's deejay/producer extraordinaire to cram his album with pounding floor-fillers or music-in-search-of-a-movie it was a little surprising that Andy chose, on the 'Colour' album, to take a more song-orientated approach. And hugely impressive it is too. The guest vocalist on this track is Mark Underdown (of mainstream dance team Underdown) and his dry, laconic voice is perfectly suited to the lyrics which describe the orange glow of city streets and the tunnel vision of people who cannot look up and see the starry firmament above their heads. As it builds, layers of neo-classical orchestration swirl around the clicking beat. A delight.
Tony Cummings

Mayfair Laundry

299. MAYFAIR LAUNDRY - NEW AND IMPROVED, 1999. From the album 'New And Improved', Planet.
This husband and wife team, who gleaned their name from a fleeting glimpse of a laundry van in a Beatles' movie, only cut two albums as Mayfair Laundry, before Kim Dexter went solo and husband Paul turned up as half of Jet Velvet. But they did release this brilliant piece of thudding pop rock, all surging guitars and a Kylie-style vocal purring a hook of effervescent catchiness. It sounded great in 1999 and sounds great today.
Tony Cummings

300. PHIL KEAGGY - LOVE BROKE THRU, 1976. From the album 'Love Broke Thru', New Song.
From a groundbreaking album that raised the bar in terms of the production levels and musical excellence of Jesus music albums, it's the title track which is the killer song. Although many versions have since been recorded it is Phil's tender reading of the number penned by Keith Green, Randy Stonehill and Todd Fishkind which continues to stand the test of time. The Encyclopedia Of Contemporary Christian Music called the song "one of the best contemporary Christian songs ever written" and Keaggy's McCartney-esque singing backed by a superlative band of top session musicians (Leland Sklar, Jim Gordon, Larry Knechtel) make it a truly haunting performance.
Tony Cummings

Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi

301. FIVE BLIND BOYS OF MISSISSIPPI - OUR FATHER, 1952. From the album 'Something To Shout About', Shout.
In 1952 a single made number 10 in America's rhythm and blues chart (though it was recorded two years earlier). As it turned out "Our Father" was a truly seminal recording in the development of both gospel music and the soon-to-emerge soul music. The Original Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi had been recording (sometimes as the Jackson Harmoneers) and travelling the Gospel Highway since the 1930s. Their first recordings for Excelsior didn't hit but by the time they joined Don Robey's Duke/Peacock company they had in place a lineup which was to wrench the group's old, cool, harmony jubilee style to something which came to be dubbed "hard gospel" with an approach that not only hugely influenced groups like Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys Of Alabama and Julius Cheeks and the Sensational Nightingales but also was successfully secularised by the likes of Ray Charles and James Brown. Pivotal in the new sound was the Blind Boys Of Mississippi's lead singer Archie Brownlee with assistance from another impassioned singer, J T Clinkscale. After moving to Chicago the group had noted the devastating effect on church audiences generated when J T interjected strident moans and wails into his singing and began to give particular emphasis to Brownlee who in the words of Horace Clarence Boyer's The Golden Age Of Gospel inserted "wails, shrieks, screams, strident falsettos, yells and grunts all into one song." The group's rendition of the Lord's Prayer was mesmerising, so far away from the staid renditions of trained voiced hymnody as to be birthed almost on another planet. It was much more than an R&B hit. It birthed a musical revolution.
Tony Cummings

302. JAMES VINCENT - RESISTANCE, 1978. From the album 'Waiting For The Rain', Caribou.
The whole sub genre known as "gospel jazz" has more than its fair share of mediocre instrumentalists who offer lightweight jazz-tinged renditions of hymns and worship songs. In truth few of these players are in the same ball park as the secular jazz giants. An honourable exception is jazz guitarist James Vincent. After playing with Jerry Garcia's Hooter Roll band and John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra James recorded solo albums for Columbia which with their dazzling George Benson-style fret work gained him critical acclaim. Then in 1977 while recording what was to become the 'Waiting For The Rain' album this most gifted of jazzmen became a Christian. The album is a multi-textured fusion gem with horns, strings and backup singers all adding texture to Vincent's deft runs on acoustic and electric guitar. "Resistance" is a dazzling instrumental executed by a master craftsman.
Tony Cummings

303. BEING JOAN - COME TO SET YOU FREE, 2010. From the album 'Why So High', Independent.
Anyone who's read Cross Rhythms' recent article on Joan Piacentini will know that this talented lady records music on a zero budget. But that didn't stop this bluesily percussive gem of a testimony song from impacting me far more than just about any other CD I heard in 2010. With some powerful yet painful images pinpointing a pointless party animal lifestyle (throwing up in strangers' sinks) and a killer sample of a trumpeter (Miles Davis?) bringing colour to the punchy, acoustic rhythm this is a bitingly effective song I'll be playing for years to come.
Tony Cummings

304. RICH MULLINS - BOY LIKE ME, MAN LIKE YOU, 1991. From the album 'The World As Best As I Remember It Vol 1', Reunion.
The album this was taken from was the moment when everything that was great about Rich Mullins came together. There was consistently brilliant songwriting coupled with an airy acoustic production by Reed Arvin that let the songs breathe. This particular song neatly juxtaposes Mullins' life with that of Jesus and draws comparisons leaving the writer wondering whether the child Jesus had similar experiences growing up. And did the young Jesus hear stories of "the saints of old" and find inspiration from them? Mullins remembers how as a 12 year old he was struggling to understand the prayers of the older men in his congregation and compares that to the 12 year old Jesus in the temple confounding those around him with his wisdom. The song is wrapped up with Mullins reflecting "and I really may just grow up and be like you someday." Throughout, Billy Crockett's crisp percussive acoustic guitar adds to the beauty while someone adds a melodic penny whistle to the track. A haunting classic.
Mike Rimmer

305. JULIE LEE - FORGIVE YOURSELF, 2008. From the mini-album 'Will There Really Be A Morning', Stillhouse Road.
The Nashville singer/songwriter's exemplary performances at Greenbelt should have prepared me for this gem but it's still one of the few recordings that stops me dead in my tracks whenever I hear it. Julie's voice is eerily other-worldly over the minimalist accompaniment of a tenor banjo, an acoustic guitar, an upright bass and a pining lap steel. If the last instrument suggests country, folk music would be nearer the mark while the tender advice to let go of old sins and memories sung in such a sinuous purr of sincerity is potentially life-changing.
Tony Cummings

306. KANSAS - PLAY THE GAME TONIGHT, 1982. From the album 'Vinyl Confessions', Kirshner.
Kansas were of course one of the biggest prog rock bands of the '70s filling stadia, selling mullions of albums and being described in the Rolling Stone Album Guide as "America's answer to Yes and King Crimson." Then in 1979, in an Indianapolis hotel room, Kansas' guitarist, keyboard player and chief songwriter Kerry Livgren got converted. The next solo album 'Audio Visions' had plenty of Livgren lyrics proclaiming his new found faith. While touring with 'Audio Visions' the band's bassist Dave Hope also became a Christian but the band's lead singer Steve Walsh, unable to accept the explicit Christian material to be recorded for 'Vinyl Confessions', quit the band. His replacement was another believer, John Elefante, and when the band got into recording 'Vinyl Confessions' it turned out to be Kansas' best album for years. Ironically though the album's biggest hit (number 17 in the US charts) "Play The Game Tonight" wasn't a Livgren song but a number originally presented to the band by outside writers. With its original lyrics "Stay With Me Tonight" seemingly to suggest a sexual one-night stand vetoed by Livgren, Elefante and Hope, they got permission to change some of the lyrics and turn it into a MUSICAL one night stand. It was a radio friendly pop rock gem.
Tony Cummings

Jeremy Riddle

307. JEREMY RIDDLE - STAND IN AWE, 2007. From the album 'Full Attention' Vineyard Music.
Once offering a much more MOR style of worship, in recent years the American and Canadian Vineyard churches have woken up to the anthemic power of stadium rock worship. 'Full Attention' by California's Anaheim Vineyard is utterly breathtaking with this song showing what can be achieved when a talented musician is prepared to bare his very soul before the living God. With a voice breaking with emotion, Jeremy conveys the heart of intense spiritual experience.
Tony Cummings

308. FEE - WE SHINE, 2007. From the album 'We Shine', INO.
There is a moment in this song where the initial slow build of the intro and the verses are delivered with such high energy that you think it would be impossible to top them. And then suddenly the song goes into punch the air overdrive and the chorus kicks in. Band leader Steve Fee sings triumphantly, "We are the redeemed, we are the ones who are free and we belong to Jesus." It's a glorious moment on a glorious song. It's impossible not to be moved! Built on a pile of incendiary guitars, this fires along at an incredible pace and makes rockers from Hillsong United or Planetshakers sound like tame popsters by comparison. Plug in, turn it up and really get excited about our redemption.
Mike Rimmer