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Reviewed by Tony Cummings
Sometimes Cross Rhythms reviewers, in their passion to see contemporary worship move away from the formulaic to adapt adventurous new musical approaches, forget the truism that a worship album is first and foremost about the quality of the songs and specifically whether those songs have the potential to connect with acts of congregational worship. Although we may want our worship albums to have The Edge-style guitar pyrotechnics or drum n bass rhythms or our worship singers to sing at least better than the questionable pitching of Scripture In Song or the semi-musical rasp of a Graham Kendrick, it s primarily the memorability of melody and the apposite resonance of the lyrics which should decide whether or not a worship album gets a thumbs up or thumbs down review. Neil Bennetts has been slowly but surely building a reputation as an exceptional songwriter and worship leader. His work at Trinity Cheltenham and his regular worship leading at the New Wine ev
Reviewed by James Lewis
Mark Heard, as you may know, died some two years ago, leaving his wife and daughter with massive medical bills not covered by medical insurance. This album is a benefit for the Heard Family Fund made up of freshly recorded covers of his songs together with a few previously released samples of his writing talents. For your money, you get 17 tracks filling up the CD to capacity and they re all well worth it. (Confusingly, you get less tracks on the cassette version but two tracks that aren t on the CD!) Mark was acknowledged by his peers, if not by his record sales, as a master songwriter and the quality material here is given the treatment it deserves. Artists here include names familiar to CCM fans together with names you may have only heard of in Cross Rhythms. Bruce Cockburn, The Call s Michael Been, Victoria Williams, Vigilantes Of Love, Tonio K, Julie Miller, The Choir and DC Talker, Kevin Smith amongst others all contribute their versions of Mark Heard s