"Worlds Collide"

  What an amazing number of young new worship musicians have put song to debut-disc in the past couple of years - it's becoming difficult to keep up with it all! The thing is, so many of these fresh sounds are also amazingly good!
  Andrew Jenkins Lamb is a new name to emerge from within the UK; his "Worlds Collide" album being the first to appear on the new lm2 record label, a subsidiary of Ian White's Little Misty Music. lm2's output is especially aimed at a younger generation of listeners, and sure enough, "Worlds Collide" simply throbs with a youthful energy, yet is never pretentious or jarringly loud.
  Indeed, class shines through all the way; with some innovative, punchy pop/rock numbers, a delightful soft-jazz piece, and several more tender offerings - Andrew's musical talent being strongly evident on all of these. His writing ability too is everywhere notable - original, non-cliched expressions, as in the irreverent tones of 'Somehow' ('Dear God, how are you
today?') and the moving honesty of the beautiful 'Angels'. Phil Lidstone displays his excellent lead-guitar skills, and also produces the package along with veteran Chris Eaton and others. Eaton also plays keyboards and, along with AJL, provides the impressive backing vocals to be heard throughout.
  A powerful debut, not specifically in the category of P&W, but CCM which poignantly expresses this young man's faith in God. You can also find his unique testimony at http://www.ajl.org. There's no doubting it - this is one of the best British Christian releases so far this year.

Review by tom lennie

"Don't Waste The Dawn"

  Though based on live recordings made in August 2000, this has the feel (and the professional quality) of a studio production, where indeed many of the sounds were created. On first hearing a Ralph Van Manen recording you cannot but be struck by the strength and beauty of his voice and by the power and infection of his songs.
  "Don't Waste The Dawn" contains new versions of three tracks that first appeared on "Vessels of Weakness" (but who's complaining when the optimistic flow of 'I will be' and that gorgeous 'Shepherd of love' ballad are among them!), along with an oldie from Craig Musseau - the strikingly poignant 'Gethsemane'. Other tracks are new and include one co-written with Paul Field and several with Chris Eaton, both well-known English writers/musicians/producers. Ralph obviously enjoys singing of his love-relationship; this theme crops up repeatedly, perhaps most tenderly on 'Whatever it takes', a deep commitment to marital faithfulness based on the promises of God. Here and elsewhere his other love-relationship - that with the Lord - takes prominence, as on the closing 9-min worship-anthem, which, though based on a gentle shuffle, builds into a flowing song of dedicated praise, with, as apparent on many other tracks, a wonderful lead guitar break.
  Luca Genta's delicate cello (along with a nice piano touch) adds finesse to those more tender offerings, while Henk Pool provides accordion vibes to the pleasant light jazz of 'Goodbye'. There's no questioning the talents and sincerity of this Dutch artist - "Don't Waste The Dawn" is inspirational pop at it's very best.

''Vessel Of Weakness''

  Ralph Van Manen is a bit of a gospel legend in The Netherlands, his country of origin. Since beginning his professional solo career in 1993 he has made numerous recordings and has won Holland's 'Gospel Artist' of the year award no less than three times. With the release of ''Vessel Of Weakness'' on his own recording label, Artica Records, Manen has come up with what is surely his most accomplished album to date.
  Ably produced by Henk Pool, who also provides keyboard input, this really is a tight musical arrangement of pop and inspirational styles, totally professional in sound. Manen's rich strong voice is everywhere an absolute pleasure to listen to, sometimes powerful and slightly raw as on 'Mystery of Love', often gentler and more sensitive, as with 'First Love', 'Messenger from Heaven' and Shepherd of Love', beautiful ballads all. Here, and elsewhere, the overall feel is uncannily similar to that of pop gospel hero Steve Curtis Chapman, not a comparison to be embarrassed about! The album
was partly recorded in the USA, and contains the input of several professional session musicians, including US guitarist Chris Rodriguez. Fellow Dutchman Luca Genta, creator of that intriguing ''Islands of Peace - Navigando'' project, makes a valued contribution too, adding his delicate cello playing and string arrangements on the title track. This song was in
fact co-written by Henk Pool and Phil Madeira, and contains the beautiful co-lead vocals of Carrie Hodge.
  The lyrics throughout are honest and personal, dealing with human relationships and love for Manen’s 'biggest Friend'. The strength of these relationships, Ralph sings, can only be achieved through us being 'vessels of weakness'.
  A beautiful thought and indeed a beautiful album.

Reviews by tom lennie

JOURNEY CLOSER  -  CCC AUCKLAND
by Form of New Zealand

FORM is a band from New Zealand playing youth oriented music.  Their first CD CCC Auckland contains some great tracks.  It was recorded on a portable 16 track digital system in July 97 and comes across really good.
From the cover:  The album came about because we wanted to create something with a sound that was relevant to who we are.  We wanted a raw sound, something reflective of the way we like to play, something that felt like a band but also had a worship vibe that could connect with young people.
Journey Closer is the newest CD from FORM, a studio recording done in late 1998.  The majority of songs by Dean Rush who does vocals and guitar.

"Yesterday Today Forever"

  Cliff is a musical legend. His career has so far spanned six decades(!), with UK chart hits in the 1950's right through to this the first decade of the New Millennium, yet he doesn't look a day over forty! His Christian music journey is of interest too; following his conversion at a Billy Graham crusade he made his first Gospel recording in 1967, the b-side to his 'All my love' hit single. Since then he has produced a wealth of quality Christian material and from a 1997 poll taken from Cliff fans all over the world, this selection of 30 favourite gospel songs was compiled. The selection is wide, having being chosen by Christians of all age groups and covering three decades, the 70's, 80's, and 90's.
  The songs consist of mainly uptempo pop songs along with some gentle soul-searching pieces. Larry Norman's 'Why should the devil have all the good music' is here as is Paul Field's 'Thief in the night'. Also included is Chris Eaton's 'Saviour Day' which got to No.1 in UK's singles charts (at Christmas-time of course) and 'Reunion of the heart' composed by Welshman Mal Pope. Six of Cliff's self-penned songs are performed, including the title-track and the more popular 'The water is wide'. My personal favourites are definitely those (unfortunately few) deeply reflective pieces which powerfully touch the soul; songs like 'Such is the Mystery' and the rather haunting 'I wish we'd all been ready', another Norman song. Although Sir Cliff has sung alongside many well-known performers, only one track here features co-lead vocals; those of Helen Shapiro on the effective 'We being many'.
  Not by any means Cliff's entire repertoire, but, consisting of his fan's favourite songs, this is surely the definitive collection of Cliff Richard's Gospel songs.   Review by tom lennie

Song list:
  1)  River City People - What's Wrong with Dreaming
  2)  Michael W. Smith - Secret Ambition
  3)  Vigilantes of Love - The Opposite's True
  4)  Iain Archer - Wishing
  5)  Mike Peters & The Alarm - Down the Road
  6)  Split Level - Window Shopping
  7)  Ricky Ross - Blue Horse
  8)  Lies Damned Lies - The Divine Image
  9)  Liberation Suite - Run, Run Lucifer
10)  Eden Burning - Deep Blue Sea
11)  Steve Taylor - We Don't Need No Colour Code
12)  Why? - Good for My Old Mother
13)  Martyn Joseph & Tom Robinson - He Never Said
14)  Charlie Peacock - Down in the Lowlands
15)  Garth Hewitt & Ben Okafor - Blood Brothers
16)  All Star United - Bright Red Carpet
17)  Tribe of Dan - Shook Up, Shook Up
18)  Fat and Frantic - Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head
19)  Runrig - Every River

Greenbelt.25 (1973-1998)

  Greenbelt is known as the world's longest-standing and premiere Christian music and arts festival. From it's original base at Odell Castle Estate, Bedfordshire, England, attracting several hundred patrons, it grew to over 30,000 attendees in the 1980's at it's Castle Ashby location in Northamptonshire. Moved a short distance to Deene Park, Northamptonshire in 1992, it continues to draw (admittedly less formidable) crowds, as well as hundreds of musical and other acts. Some are world-famous, most are small UK-based artists longing to receive a hearing. Some of the well-known names who have appeared at this venue over the years include Cliff Richard, Randy Stonehill, Amy Grant, Bruce Cockburn, Phil Keaggy, Russ Taff, Larry Norman, Julie Miller, World Wide Message Tribe, Margaret Becker, Steve Curtis Chapman and Adrian Snell!
  "Greenbelt.25" covers a fascinating cross-section of the acts to perform on some of the Festival's stages. It contains a total of 19 tracks and lasts a welcome 78 minutes. Some, like Michael W. Smith (at his rockiest), All Star United, and Charlie Peacock you may be very familiar with others, such as River City People, Why? and Fat and Frantic you may, like me, have never heard of. A diverse collection though, from the upbeat rock styles of Split Level and Steve Taylor, to the acoustic folk/rock sounds of the wonderful Vigilantes of Love and Iain Archer, to the unique Celtic contribution of
Scottish Runrig. Perhaps my favourite track is the Martyn Joseph and Tom Robinson collaboration on 'He never said', a poignant reflection on living out the gospel of Christ. Most tracks are taken from existing albums, although some are recordings of performances at actual Greenbelt concerts.
  A major drawback with the packaging is that no biographical information is provided regarding any of the artists. For this you will have to do your own research by, for example, checking out the archival info. on the Greenbelt web-site. The years each act appeared are unfortunately not stated either, though the CD-booklet does offer lots of other interesting snippets of Greenbelt trivia.
  Greenbelt has certainly had it's controversies over it's 25-year span, particularly over it's selection of groups and artists; many consider the festival to be too liberal in outlook and content. Nevertheless, this is an intriguing album, certainly a must for all Greenbelt devotees, and of real interest to all who like raw, non-religious, down-to-earth music.

Review by tom lennie

"Big Smile"

  I first heard clips from this album in a record store audio-booth and was immediately blown away by the full-sounding gutsiness of the production. In fact Brian's 6th solo release, '"Big Smile" is his second worship project, containing a richer, stronger sound than it's unusually-titled predecessor, also distributed by Kingsway Music. Combining honest, meaningful lyrics with a diverse range of musical styles, this inventive 'heart-to-heart' with Lord, Saviour and Friend never fails to hold the listener's attention.
  'Your whisper' is a bouncy sing-a-long tune of praise, typical of Brian's incredibly catchy song-writing. 'Passion', too is an infectious anthem of rootsy worship, first recorded by friend Noel Richards on his "Calling All Nations" work. Brian's consistent knack of delivering striking intro's is especially evident on the classical-elegance turn rock-bounce of 'God of
healing' - this sounds more impressive still when you realize that, save the drumming which is decisively and brilliantly brought by younger brother 'Markee', ALL musical accompaniment comes care of Brian (Brizee). An amazing feat, considering that lead and bass guitar, banjo, harmonica, synthesizer, tremolo pedal, cello, violin and glockenspiel sounds can all be heard (not to mention Brian's background 'la la's' and 'ooh ooh's')!
  An Irishman singing an 8th Century Irish hymn may sound natural enough, but as the atmospheric percussion-based rhythm of 'Be Thou my Vision' breaks into a rock-edged celebration at the end of each verse you appreciate how
wonderfully unpredictable this musical troubadour can be. Elsewhere, I love the genuine adoration of 'Lift high the Name' and the reflective integrity of the 6.5 minute 'Could You', where, to moody cello, Brian lays open his inner 'thoughts'.
  The highly professional yet raw, unpolished style of this recording, along with the singer's obvious passion for the God he worships, make it stand out among the mass of CCM output. I love it from start to finish. Or, as the Irish might say - it's a cracker!

Review by tom lennie

"In The Words Of Dr Luke"

  Brian Houston is one of Northern Ireland's foremost singer/songwriters, having established himself musically in clubs, pubs and churches throughout his home country over the years. He's already had three privately released albums, but this is his first worship venture, showing a totally unique rootsy folk/rock style and a down-to-earth sound that could only come from Ireland! All 10 songs are self-penned and show a man who is passionate about music, but even more passionate about the God who gave him a musical gifting
  The album scored a full 10-out-of-10 in UK's CrossRhythm's magazine. One listen to this and you can understand why.

Review by tom lennie

"The Harvest Has Begun"

  When you receive an album produced by UK's Chris Eaton you know you're handling something special. As well as writing and recording several solo albums, Chris has penned songs for the likes of Amy Grant and Cliff Richard, as well as masterfully producing five out of six of Ian White's gorgeous Psalms offerings plus a host of other ventures besides.
  Joe King is a singer/songsmith from North England with a previous solo album, 'Next to You' to his name. Here he offers a collection of his own tunes, most fitting into the pop/inspirational category, though there are some wonderful hints of rock-guitar here and there, courtesy of one Morph! Joe's warm and passionate voice works well as he encourages the listener in his/her Christian walk with songs like the Celtic-inspired 'Stand your ground' and 'Thief in the night'. More intimate moments surface again and again with the likes of 'Until our hearts beat as one' and the delicate 'I still believe in You'. Indeed these reflective occasions see Joe at his best; open, sensitive and full of encouragement. Other notable musicians appearing include the ubiquitous(!) Teryl Bryant on drums and Mike Horton with his classy sax touch (hear his gorgeous accompaniment to 'Don't give up the fight'). As well as this we have Rob Maxwell's fine violin strokes providing opening elegance to the flowing story-in-song 'Justin Brown'.
  The album closes with a fitting upbeat song of praise 'Jesus, You are Mighty' containing an infectious country feel. "The Harvest Has Begun" is a worthy follow-up to Joe's previous output and indeed an album to be proud of.

Review by tom lennie

"The Journey"

  Mr. McGee is a jouneyman of exception. As a traveling musician, he spends a whole 11 months out of 12 traversing America with his wife and family of three in their 33-foot motor home. They depend on God's provision to sustain them all the way. This lifestyle can be evidenced in the making of "The Journey", a process which lasted 14 months and which included four US recording studio locations.
  With all the material being self-penned, the album showcases David's considerable writing talent, the songs flowing in lyrical copiousness and spiritual depth. Utilizing an acoustic base, there are several gutsy upbeat no's, but even here, the sound is never heavy. It is edgy and rootsy throughout though, with David's raw vocals giving an overall feel not unsimilar to an acoustic Bruce Springsteen (love to hear 'the boss' write songs like 'The stone..was rolled away' or 'Everlasting love'!), or an early Rick Elias, as featured on his classic debut 1990 self-titled release. This artist loses nothing in either comparison.
  Perhaps the central track is the moving 'Waitin' on the Train' (again with a traveling theme), where David proclaims that when the final whistle blows, he'll be 'waitin' on the train', and pleads with others to get aboard.
  A fine performance indeed, and all this from a man who once suffered from severe hearing difficulties. There's no doubting this troubadour's deep desire to share the love of Jesus wherever he goes on his continuing 'journey'.

Review by tom lennie