Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Fans of Steve longing for a creative resurgence from the veteran rock gospeller with another high octane 'One On One' or 'Fire And Ice' are going to be mightily stunned by 'Mercy In The Wilderness'. Here Steve and joint producer Michael Omartian turn in an album of songs largely suited for congregational worship. As we know, many CCM veterans from Glenn Kaiser to Charlie Peacock have recorded superlative worship projects. But for some reason, best known to Steve and his record company, Mr Camp has adopted a musical approach which fans of his gritty, impassioned albums of yesteryear will call a wimpout. Some of the arrangements, like on "Wonderful Merciful Saviour" are even taken into Hosanna-type choral, easy listening territory. There are still some strong songs here and the man's winsome love of God still peeps through. But creatively, Steve's move into music that could be played on America's 'insp radio' will disappoint many.

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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