Reviewed by Pippa Rimmer

I've come to the conclusion that sampler are a waste of time and are sent to frustrate us. Here, we're tempted with a treasure trove of gospel old and new, only to have it stolen away. We're treated to Kelli Williams, Daniel Winans, Anointed, Commissioned et al - all on one album! But alas! They're crammed, along with a smidgen of three of their songs, onto one track each! So what you get is snippets of 39 songs from 13 artists squashed onto one CD! Just when that fave song by Yolanda Adams hits your ears, it fades to song number two by Yolanda (song no 23 of the 39). But it lives up to its name - it is, after all, a sample of what's around in gospel. Do yourself a favour - whether it's Hezekiah Walker or Dawkins & Dawkins that grab your grommets, go out and get the full length, frustration-free Real Thing.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.