Reviewed by Simon Redfern

Fred is a heavyweight in more ways than one and the songs on his latest album, recorded live in his new home city of Dallas, Texas, have that magical bit of spice that makes a massive difference in separating it from the bounds of mediocrity. If you've yet to be exposed to the sheer exuberant joy and passion of African American worship this is a great place to start. Each track has a sense of individuality about it which is very unusual to find in any musical genre, such as "L.O.U.D." which has a great dance beat, "Lord Your Grace" which is far more chilled-out with some highly effective gospel vocal backing, and "No Greater Love" which is so laid-back, it's horizontal! Musically this is well produced and even though Fred has a substantial band and complement of backing vocalists, the offering is never overdone. The lyrics are highly original and combined with some funky bass lines plus great vocals from the man himself (occasionally reminding me of Alexander O'Neal), this is a worthy addition to any CD collection. The three track live DVD is very professional and an added bonus.

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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