Reviewed by Chris Berry

Ever yearn for the days of yore? Ever reminisce? Always try to remind yourself never to look back because you can never go back? Here's an album which conjures up all those feelings and emotions - and whilst we're at it, it's terrific entertainment too. Dale and David Garratt are the husband and wife team from New Zealand (yes, you heard correctly) who, 30 years ago, were led to start putting Scriptures into song. This album covers their early recordings, from their first album through to the mid-80s and is a tour de force of their songs and others recorded during that time. Whilst a great deal of this kind of music is now derided in some quarters as being trivial and too repetitive (and of course in some cases it is) it still has its place and indeed if people such as Dale and David hadn't been doing their thing, then Christian music may not have grown the way it has now. There's much to be admired here. 29 tracks and Dale's sweet singing voice give this collection a very Seekers/New Seekers kind of feel at times. There are some of the greats incorporated here; "This Is The Day" and "Seek Ye First" being two such, but in truth it's their own stuff such as "Victory Song" which stands up best here. If you want to step back to the happy sounds of the late 60s and 70s when pop music was still essentially naive and pretty (yes, I'm aware Jimi Hendrix et al were around then too) then this is one for you.

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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