Reviewed by Tony Cummings

There's almost as much pop as rock on this, but then that's always the problem with our category system when faced with compilations. Heartland Records are of course Australia's premier CCM company and this absorbing album offers you 18 cuts from 18 Heartland artists (surely their entire roster?!). One or two are known to Brit music lovers - that is to say the source albums creeped out into Britain via Word. Hopefully Alliance can do a better job for there is abundant talent on offer here. The absolute gem is John Dickson's "Maranooka" classic (those didgeridoos are truly wonderful) while almost as good is the gutsy rock of Glass Canoe; the fiery AOR of David Holmes (his album was reviewed as an import in CR21); the Maori-blues of Steve Apirana (he appeared briefly on mainstage with John Smith at Greenbelt '94); and the riffing rock of one time Larry Norman sideman Randall Waller. With "Maranooka" as my favourite track is "Lord Of Thunder" by Stephen Bennett, the prophet musician you'll be catching at the Cross Rhythms fests later this year. One final note, if your tastes aren't attuned to all the crunching axe power chords heard on this set, there's some catchy pieces of synth pop from ladies Lucy Fisher and Taylor and even a taste of contemporary praise. Shoddy packaging -sleeve notes and artist biographies were needed here Mr Hamilton - but let's not quibble but support a fascinating introduction to the clearly spectacular CCM reservoir now existing in Australia.

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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