Reviewed by Paul Poulton

Songs of redemption? I'm looking hard for the redeeming factor here. The lyrics of these hymns carry the message of good news as it was poetically told a few decades ago. Surely you have to do more than put a programmed snare on the back beat to make them accessible in the noughties. Rather than giving these hymns new life the corny arrangements give them as much creative structure as an anaesthetised lip. These songs came from the first half of the last century; I could be wrong but they should be given the respect they deserve. By all means record them again, giving a fresh perspective to the timing they were written in. In those days they used to say, "You can't force a pint into a half pint container," and it's still true. Isn't the mark of today's music its inventiveness and imagination? The singing lacks vitality, the productions lack lustre, (it sounds like "just another gig" for the musicians) and the sleevenotes are patronising. The anonymous author writes, "Worship songs are nothing new." Who said they were? The notes continue, "Previous generations enjoyed sourcing their songs from books like the Redemption Hymnal." Sourcing? Is that a middle-management term used to make the speaker sound up-to-date? Sourcing? We only had one book in those days mate and Redemption Hymnal was it, we sourced it until it fell to bits. Elim kindly brought out their Chorus book so we sourced that for a while too. The inlay card lists 13 hymns all of which are noted as lasting 0:00 long, unfortunately it's not true. How much thought and inspiration went into these arrangements I don't know; the only song that may possibly work to this format is "Since Jesus Came Into My Heart".

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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