Reviewed by Dawne B Stewart

Andrae Crouch - my gosh, where do I begin? "Timeless", "ground breaking", "ahead of his time", "landmark", "pave a way", "inspiring", "influential" and "discovered trillions" (okay. I'm stretching it). But this man has impacted more to the gospel genre and beyond than this space can contain. Let's reminisce. The year is 1981. the buzzword throughout the whole of the gospel music empire is Andrae Crouch And The Disciples. Why - complete innovativity! soaring musical heights, performing and recording destined classics tunes at venues, which at that lime were "out of bound" for gospel artists. Then something even more phenomenal happened - 'Don't Give Up". It not only became the first gospel album signed to a secular label (Warner Bros) but the transformation of Andrae's music was awesome. From simple gospel music roots to a new era of Earth. Wind & Fire horn sections, structured rich harmonics and controversial topics with inimitable, captivating, autobiographical delivery. He showcased the fresh talent of the Winans. a very young BeBe & CeCe and the world famous, respected musicians Brother Abe. Alex Acuna and Bill Maxwell - Koinonia. Reformatted for the modern day CD listener, this album communicates. That's the key word. "I Love Walking With You", "Start All Over Again" and the title track speak volumes about God's faithfulness, no matter what, and, no matter what, remain faithful. The delivery is so powerful and passionate I wanna cry but sit there and say "Wow." To "Hollywood Scene" and "Handwriting On The Wall". I picture, then smile at my attempts of the original '80s dance steps. 'Don't Give Up' still exudes freshness, relevance and most significantly timelessness. For the DJ, promoter, musician and singer Andrae has influenced I say "Don't keep it to yourself. For the 'new kid' I say you've "Just arrived on the Hollywood scene"! Go buy it. Capture it for yourself.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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