Reviewed by David Faulkner

I was sceptical when this CD arrived in the post. A compilation of worship material from gospel artists is fine, but why were seven of the 12 tracks covers of songs from Caucasian, not African-Caribbean sources? Still, I thought, gospel versions of "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" and so on could be a new slant on the well-worn (worn out?) MOR pop worship scene. Mostly, I was disappointed. Too many of the renditions out-MOR the familiar versions. A particular disappointment was Keith Staten's take on "Shout To The Lord", but he wasn't the only one. Better were The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's "Days Of Elijah" (just a shame that song erroneously states King David as builder of the Temple). Best of all was "Open The Eyes Of My Heart" by Faithful Central. Ultimately, though, it's the originals that stand out here. Israel And New Breed show why they have such a great reputation now on "Friend Of God" and Tye Tribbett out-funks Kirk Franklin's "Hosanna" with his "Mighty Long Way". Overall, then, it's a curious sampler, with more appeal to those who occasionally dip their toes into gospel than the hardcore fans.

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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