Reviewed by Chris Tozer

In the dim and distant past when praise tapes were produced by the Holy Spirit' I used to regard the task of reviewing worship albums as something akin to Russian roulette. I always feared an avalanche of letters from aspiring worship leaders and their devotees so I astutely avoided excessive criticism and resorted to writing cryptically. Hence uplifting anthems' really meant 'elevator music'. Thank goodness such embarrassments have been largely replaced by gems like this brilliant recording from Lincolnshire's Grapevine '98. As with most live albums these days the production and performance are both capable if somewhat nondescript. That in itself is not a problem as it is the songs that should command the listener's attention. The songwriting credits are shared evenly by established names such as Kendrick and Bowater and lesser known in-house songwriters and that's always a healthy sign. Stand out tracks from the former category include Redman's end time hymn "There's A Louder Shout To Come" and "Here I Am Once Again" from the Vineyard. Both these songs - along with the Oasis sound of "Oh Our Lord And King" are featured in Songs Of Fellowship 2 book. All in all this album showcases much of the best of contemporary British praise.

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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