Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Like another recently released download compilation of gospel oldies 'The No 1 Classic Gospel Album Ever', this contains a bumper selection of tracks - this time 140 - so that the fan keen to explore gospel music's rich history is bound to find much to enjoy. This time there are occasional tracks stretching back to the '20s (Blind Willie Johnson) and the '30s (The Heavenly Gospel Singers) though the bulk of the tracks here stem from those golden years in the '50s when seemingly hundreds of acts traveled the grueling Gospel Highway. Amongst the musical delights here are the Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi, The Pilgrim Travelers, Brother Joe May, The Dixie Hummingbirds, Marian Anderson, The Soul Stirrers (with Sam Cooke in magnificent voice), The Swan Silvertones (ditto Claude Jeter), Aretha Franklin, The Charioteers and many more. If you've already got a pile of early gospel re-issues in your collection you're bound to have some of these oldies already (with Mahalia Jackson's "Move On Up A Little Higher" million seller probably compiled for the 100th time). But when you hear the hypnotic gospel doowop of The Famous Blue Jay Singers performing "Clanka-A-A-Lanka", or Blind Willie Johnson's groaning-with-slide-guitar "Cold Was The Night Hard Was The Ground", or the Trumpeteers' ancient gospel hit "Milky White Way", such details count for little especially with the knowledge that even if you already have half these tracks, 70 songs for under £8.00 is still a bargain. So a visit to iTunes will no doubt be on the cards for plenty of Cross Rhythms readers.

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