Never for Nothing - CCM Record Reviews archive D
DA' T.R.U.T.H. : The Faith. (Cross Movement : 88141-30017-2)
The wide range of music that drops through my letter box is one of the joys of writing reviews for the redoubtable Mr Howlett! This month I have been welcomed to the world of hip hop. And I mean welcomed, with the opening line 'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome ....' beginning a CD full of Christian lyrics rapped with real conviction, carried along on a wave of infectious beats and hooks. Standouts for me are the stripped-down 'On duty', the laid-back '2 is better', 'Conversations' (supported by the breathy vocals of Karen and LaTia), the funky 'Teacher' and the particularly snappy and challenging lyrics of the closer 'Whose Team?', delivered to a rock beat. A pity that distinct 'mike popping' on some of Da' T.R.U.T.H.'s vocals weren't sorted by the production team - but overall I really enjoyed this CD. The man himself is evidently better known to family and friends as Manny, became a Christian at five, and grew up with no interest in rap music. In his late teens however he accidentally discovered that he had a talent for rhyming, at nineteen 'launched his ministry as an urban missionary', acquired his new moniker, subsequently 'graduated at Philadelphia Biblical University and The Institute of Jewish studies' and has evidently 'ministered to audiences of 100,000+'. The academic grounding shows. Check out www.crossmovementrecords.com and www.datruth.net. 9/10 Dave Deeks (March 2006)
THE DAILY SERVICE SINGERS : The Nations 20 Favourite Hymns. (Kingsway : KMCD2466)
Regular listeners to the BBC Radio Daily Service Programme will
be overjoyed with this collection of the nations' favourite hymns.
Recorded live at Chester Cathedral, there's no surprises in guessing
the format of each hymn. There's the occasional solo vocalist
and, of course, the full choir, all singing their hearts out for
the glory of God. Within the list of favourites come "Dear
Lord & Father of Mankind", "Great is Thy Faithfulness",
""Love Devine All Love's Excelling", and "Guide
Me O Thou Great Redeemer". From the more modern era comes
"What A Friend We Have in Jesus" and "Shine Jesus
Shine" - what an impression those two have made over the
years! Then, there's my own personal favourite, "And Can
It Be". Twenty classic hymns on one CD. Ever thought of the
CD series "Wow Hymns"? This could be the start. 8/10. (June 2003)
DALTON : Taste the Sky. (Selectric : SEL0602)
Dalton hail from Texas and consist of brothers Preston and Spencer Dalton, alongside other band members Chris Santos and Steven Kanika. This is their debut album and the title symbolises our hope as believers in the return of Jesus and also encourages believers to 'taste the sky' and all they can be. Their sound is a mixture of rock and pop, and I'm afraid that sometimes, the two just don't seem to mix to well. Sometimes, too, the lyrics were just too difficult to get a clear meaning from. "600 Feet" was one such song that had a clever tune but I'm at a total loss to understand what it was all about. "Life Afraid", on the other hand, tells one not to dwell on past mistakes, but to learn from them and move on. Similarly, "Above You" is a slower melodic number that talks of surrendering to God. Later on, "Streets" has an unmistakable likeness to the old Duran Duran hit "Ordinary World". For me, the best song came last. It's a prayer to God. "Hold Me Now" is a more acoustic number than the rest and sits well above anything else on the CD. Maybe there's more to come from Dalton. 5/10. (October 2006)
DAN WHEELER : Seven Kinds of Grace. (Authentic : 1903132)
The tracks on this CD all have a fairly acoustic sounding pop / light rock feel to them, and they are all fairly polished performances too, with some nice guitar licks appearing in all the right places. The lyrics are plainly written from a very personal point of view, and the tunes are all quite catchy, in fact to be honest there's not a single track on this album that I don't particularly like on its own. However if there's a fault with this CD it's that taking the album as a whole rather than individual tracks there's not a lot of difference in style or tempo between the tracks, and I found that it wasn't long before I got bored with it, which is a shame because the songs do merit notice being taken of them. You could play this anywhere without anyone getting offended by anything on it; It reminds me of the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. "Mostly Harmless" 5/10 Andy Sayner. (February 2007)
DANIEL O'DONNELL : Faith & Inspiration. (Ritz : RZBCD717).
A new album by Daniel O'Donnell, who must be one of the most popular
country ballad singers around, is always eagerly awaited by his
many fans, and this one I'm sure will be no exception. He always
brings sincerity to songs of faith which is both uplifting and
calm. This release includes many favourites such as "make
Me A Channel of Your Peace", "Light A Candle",
and "Morning Has Broken", all sung with a sweetness
and clarity that is typically Daniel, without being overpowering
- just the thing to relax with in those quiet moments we all need
from time to time! It's an album that was a pleasure to review
and a welcome addition to his, already, substantial collection
of country ballads and songs of faith. Long may he continue to
give so much pleasure to so many with his wonderful voice. 10/10
Judith Wilson. (December 2000)
DANIEL O'DONNELL : Daniel in Blue Jeans. (DMG : DMGTV001)
Love or loathe him, you can't get away from the fact that this
crooning Irishman has won millions of fans all over the world
with his boyish smile, good looks and golden voice. One look at
the UK's Album chart will confirm that, shooting straight in at
No.6, his records sell by the bucket full. This release sees Daniel
take 20 Great Rock n Roll Love Songs and release them in a style
as only he can. To be honest, there's nothing to dislike about
any of the renditions, they're all carefully crafted. Favourites
of mine include "Singing the Blues", "Teenager
In Love", "Donna", and the Billy Fury classic "Halfway
to Paradise". Then, there's still time for "Love Me
Tender", "Twelth of Never" and "Sealed With
A Kiss". Perhaps Daniel lacks the guile to deliver songs
like "Blueberry Hill" as it was originally released,
but try telling his fans that. 8/10. (April 2003)
DARLENE ZSCHECH : Kiss of Heaven. (Extravagant worship : 00768268421 1)
Did you know that "My Jesus, My Saviour (Shout to the Lord)"
is currently the most played song in UK churches, according to
CCLI? As a result, you will no doubt recognise the name of this
artist, and in fact, the song in question appears on this very
album. I initially thought that this would be a compilation cd,
but it isn't, with everything else being new material (as far
as I can tell). It is good material too, with the title track
and the first number "Pray" being among the strongest.
It doesn't have a worship feel to it, which also surprised me,
although many of these are actually worship songs. It somehow
manages to worship without being "in your face" and
what you end up with is a very good pop album, full of good tunes,
excellent arrangements and top-notch production. I really like
Darlene's voice too; It has a warmth and quality to it which means
she can manage the power without it sounding forced or strained.
There are many professional, secular female singers and wannabees
for whom sadly, this is not the case. As a piece de resistance,
there is also a song "Walk On" which is written by U2
and on which Darlene duets with Martin Smith (which actually sounds
remarkably like U2!). This is the first album I have heard by
Darlene Zschech, and I am sure it won't be the last. 9/10 Robin
Thompson (January 2004)
DARLENE ZSCHECH : Kiss of Heaven. (INO Records : 000768268421)
It often happens that, following a successful CCM career, an artist
suddenly decides to record a praise and worship album. In Darlene
Zschech's case, a successful p&w career has led to her recording
a more pop orientated album. The result is a sound that says "Amy
Grant" all over. As good as the opening song "Pray"
is, Darlene is watered down and sounds only a shadow of her usual,
vibrant self on some very mediocre produced songs. "Beautiful
Saviour" lends more than just a passing resemblance to Roxette's
"Milk & Toast & Honey", while the brilliant
"Shout to the Lord" has been given the pop idol treatment
and sounds plain lame. The corking title track is just miles ahead
of anything else on the recording, and is really catchy. Darlene
may have sold millions of records previously, but fans will be
disappointed by this. 5/10. (March 2004)
DARLENE ZSCHECH : Change Your World. (INO : 35892)
So, then, the darling of the Hillsongs movement in Australia releases an album in her own right. An album that leaves behind the spirit filled praise and worship we've come to expect and, instead, shows off an track listing of far too many mediocre songs. The opening "You Are Here" is not a bad start, but it's three more down the line before I was really impressed again. On that song, "Call Upon His Name", there's great production and a belief in Darlene's voice that she really means what she's singing. "Never Give Up" rocks too much for her voice, and she struggles to do it justice. And, if I'm honest, that's how I felt most of the album sounded. Although this is a solo album, her individuality is lost in an album of poor quality songs that sound like hundreds I've heard before. 4/10. (January 2006)
DARWIN HOBBS : Free. (Tyscot : TYS984169-2)
This is Darwin's 5th release, although his first on the Tyscot label. He's well known in the USA CCM circles, and has provided backing vocals for the likes of Michael W Smith and Donnie McClurkin. The title of this new release is a very personal thing to Darwin, who recently confessed of the sexual abuse he received as a child. He says, "This album is to date, the absolute depiction of who I am as an artist, worshipper and a human being. It's the first album I've recorded as a free man." With that in mind it is no wonder, then, that the title track is sung with gusto. Darwin's voice is strong and powerful throughout the album, which lends itself to a little helping of soul, to add to it's gospel roots. His backing singers do their job well, and while Darwin goes a little over the top on 'The Name of the Lord', they are well matched. I couldn't help but find myself worshipping along with tracks like 'Crosswalk' and 'He's Able', and was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. 8/10 (July 2009)
DAVE BAINBRIDGE, DAVID FITZGERALD with DAVID ADAM : The Eye of the Eagle. (Kingsway : KMCD2152).
Modern day Celtic writer, David Adams wrote the meditational book
on the hymn 'Be Thou My Vision'. These writings have inspired
Bainbridge & Fitzgerald to create a whole album of ambient
music to accompany both Adam's reading, and Mairre Brennan's occasional
vocals. While a recent reviewer of this album wrote that the music
both "stirred" him and "moved me to tears",
I can only confirm the latter. However, in my case the tears were
caused by the sheer numbness I felt whilst listening to this multitude
of whining Celtic instruments. Not even the fair maiden, Brennan,
could lift or inspire my spirits to listen to it all again. Enjoyable?
No. Meditational? Does falling asleep count? 2/10. (January 1999)
DAVE BILBROUGH : All Hail the Lamb - New Heart. (Kingsway: KMCD2379)
With song writing credits such as "I Am A New Creation",
"Shout for Joy and Sing", and "So Freely",
Dave Bilbrough is almost a national institution in British CCM.
This double Cd brings together two of his solo projects and includes
those aforementioned tracks on the former. Also included is the
jolly, folky sounding "How Wonderful" that gets the
album off to a happy sort of start. "All Hail the Lamb"
is another well known track that gets the full songwriter treatment,
resulting in pure worship. The second album contains tracks written,
mostly, some 12 years after the first and lacks the same intimacy.
"The Day of the Streams" gets your feet tapping but
"We're Moving On" fails to reach similar heights. Indeed,
most of the second Cd is instantly forgettable. There just isn't
the same quality there, and the songs are quite poor. 5/10. (May 2002)
DAVE BILBROUGH : Everybodysing. (Kingsway : KMCD2421)
For more than 20 years Dave Bilbrough has ministered through music
and, in that time, has recorded 16 albums. His brand new live
release features 14 songs that draw on some diverse musical influences.
For instance, there's the Celtic feel of "This is Jesus",
and the African rhythms of "Jesus Christ", both songs
of great excellence. "Yours is the Kingdom" is a typical
uptempo praise song, from the man who has given us so many well
known songs over the years. "Again and Again" plods
along quite nicely, and "Draw Me Again" is just full
of worship. That's the good stuff out of the way. Unfortunately,
there's a few songs that I didn't enjoy, such as the title track
and "One Heart". But, it's hard to please everyone all
of the time isn't it? 7/10. (February 2003)
DAVE CLEMO : Shine For you. (CD from: www.daveclemo.co.uk)
I've known ex-patriate Cornishman Dave Clemo for about 10 years, and in that time he's embraced a number of musical styles. For a long time he was known as The Kettering Cowboy, due to his preference for country music, but in his time he's been a Sixties popster, a rock 'n' roll revivalist, and a praise & worship leader, as well as retaining a toehold in country music. This latest release, which is by my reckoning his eighth since his debut in 1993, has elements of all of those styles, and apart from the opening sing-a-long hoe-down version of 'Amazing Grace', it's all his own work, in songwriting, production and arrangements. So 'Jesus Is My Rock' has a Bo Diddley beat, 'Reputation None' is country blues-rock in a minor key, and 'Love God, Hate Sin' is (in Dave's own words) "a bit of a rant", with horns and twangy guitars. Not that this is all uptempo stuff; "You Are Mine" is easy listening pop music with a gentle beat to go with the poetry of the lyrics. At times Dave's voice betrays the passage of anno domini by being a tad wobbly and a little off key, but I still think that this is an enjoyable listen, and that Dave's Servant Heart Ministries is an organisation worthy of your support. 7/10 Trevor Kirk (October 2005)
DAVE CLIFTON : Seeds of Hope & Love. Integrity : LRMCD07)
The accompanying press release says that this album is "an inspirational mix of original sacred songs." And, I've got to say, that sums things up quite nicely. From the first song, "Saviour", I thought how nice it was to hear an emphasis on the worship rather than it being performance orientated. The tunes are simple, uncomplicated pieces of music, with thoughtful words, woven within. Despite our own failings, we are grateful that God still loves us, and this is the theme of the relaxing song, "I Believe". Dave plays guitars on the album , but also adds some very nice mandolin on "There is a Green Hill". "This is Love" shows just what God's love is all about, while "Ever Faithful God" needs no explanation. Most of the songs come across as being very intimate, and I felt that Dave's lyrics worked really well throughout. Living for God is a wonderful thing, and this collection of songs are a celebration of just that. 9/10. (October 2006)
DAVE DEEKS : Walk With the One. (CD £10/ Cass £8 from: LJMM, 13 Pentland Grove, West Moor, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 7YN).
Nine years since his last album, singer songwriter, Dave Deeks
returns to the CCM scene with an album that is very much the creation
of his son, Mark. For, he selected the songs, produced them, played
most of the instruments and even found time to lend a hand with
the backing vocals. What happens is that you can spot Dad's 60/70's
influences in the basic song, but with son's 90's interpretation.
The result is mixed. Songs like the strong opener, "Such
Love Amazes Me" is a choppy affair that is carried along
by some simple, yet effective, guitar playing. "Free For
All" sees Dave almost talking the words to an accompaniment
of more good guitar work and fx. And so the album continues in
positive vain with songs like the catchy "Man Without A Reason"
and the title track. It's around here that things get a bit messy,
with too many ideas complicating the overall sound. "A Christian
Isn't" being a prime example as the vocals fight against
the swirling guitars. The writing itself is very good, with Dave
writing an honest chronicle of the ups and downs of life. Ending
with the folk meets pop "My Hope…" the album improves
with play and has currently risen to…..8/10. (November 1999)
DAVE DEEKS : Bridge. (www.davedeeks.com)
With songs based on Biblical truths as well as from his own walk with God, Newcastle's Dave Deeks has released, what I believe to be, a meditational, easy listening collection of songs. In some respects, they remind me of an early Michael Card album, but Dave has honed his own style, over the years. The title track depicts Jesus as a bridge on which to stand firm, and has some good keyboard sounds to accompany. Thinking and contemplating on God's word, seems to be the focus of 'Whatsover Things', and is one of the strongest tracks. Like many before him, Dave puts his own twist on 'Psalm 23', but the gloomy organ sound left me rather cold on this one. Happily, the mood changes for the shuffling 'The Fight's Been Won', where trusting in God is the backbone of the song. I found the album easy to listen to, and was able to digest the words fairly quickly too - always a plus point! The music is uncomplicated, but well produced, and Dave has done well to gather such talented musicians around him. With themes such as 'running the race that is life' and 'creation', he pulls no punches, and "tells it like it is". I thoroughly enjoyed 'Four Walls', 'Big Big God' and the engaging 'My Peace', while the blues groove of 'Pots of Clay' didn't quite work. However, Dave lovingly brings the album to a close with his very personal love song to Christ, backed by a simple piano. It's crisp, clean, and very moving. All in all, it's another example of the wealth of unsigned talent in the world of UK CCM. 8/10 (December 2008)
DAVE GODFREY : Heaven's No.1. (ICC:ICCD52430
Dave lives in York and is employed by the York Schools & Youth
Trust. He helps to lead assemblies, RE lessons and takes the word
of God into the schools of York. His other work includes running
Scripture Union Holiday's for 7-11 year olds so, you can see,
he's a man with the Lord firmly at the centre of his life. This
CD, then, takes some of the songs from his work and makes them
available for others in similar posts to use, as well as for the
children to enjoy. Well, as I work with 11-16 year olds I thought
that I would still find some of the music useful. "Joy in
the House" is an 80's synth-based number, where Dave invites
you to "jump, wave, bounce, slide…" enough said?
"Ace Foundations" simply says you must build your life
on Jesus, and the country style is quite good. Then came the bitter
blow. I couldn't believe it, "The Pirate Song". I never
thought I would hear anything so awful. Two voices pretending
to be pirates but sounding, to those of us old enough to remember,
The Wurzles' "Combine Harvester". It was so bad that
I had to play it to several people and ask "Is it me?".
Unfortunately, there was more of the same to come in "The
Little Green Alien Song". Do you remember Keith Harris and
that green duck, Orville? That's just what it sounds like. Ten
or more years ago this stuff might have been what kids would listen
to, but not now. Obviously, Dave and his ministry must be reaching
out in live situations, where action songs like "Your Love"
can be seen, but the CD just doesn't work. "Pausing"
and "Deep" save it from being awarded one for effort.
2/10. (June 2001)
DAVE GODFREY : Dependence Day. (ICC : ICCD72030)
"Oh no", I cried on receiving this CD to review, "my
worst nightmare". Why? Well, I didn't exactly enjoy Dave's
last children's offering "Heaven's No.1", and I felt
that this might be more of the same. In fact, when the first couple
of tracks played, I was convinced of this. Try singing "All
scripture is God breathed, 2 Tim Chapter 3, 16". Know what
I mean? Then, there's the Elvis impression for "Go",
sung in a typical 60's rock n' roll fashion. Ah well, it could
only get better. And, to my surprise, it did. Starting with the
all action, all singing song "Knock!", the whole Cd
really does take off. And despite the fact that "I Love Ya"
lends a lot to The Wurzles again, it's a terrific song for kids.
"Worship Song" is almost a lullaby and very well produced,
and "On the Day of Pentecost" shows Dave, himself, in
top form. Pick of the bunch? Perhaps "Superhero", where
Dave says "never mind the superpowers of fictitious hero's
like Superman, how would you like the spiritual powers of Jesus
that are free to all?". And if all this is not enough, there's
all the backing tracks provided on a 2nd CD. Well done Dave. 7/10. (June 2003)
DAVE GODFREY : Holy Washing Machine. (ICC : ICC0814D)
After last month's brilliant Hillsongs album for young people, we get back to some typical British praise songs for, what I guess to be, the 4-8 year age range. I say that, because for anyone older than 8 years, the songs' content and make up are just so condescending, on the whole. "When Peter Preached" is a guitar based opener that tickles the old cringe-ometer very early on, and then goes way over the top at the end of each chorus when Dave shouts "Acts 2, 37 to 39, yeah". He's used the same format in the past, and this album is no different, with songs like "The Promise" and "Wrong Way" following similar patterns. In fact, the latter is so awful and is taken to it's lowest level by the so-called "comic voices" that are used. "In the Beginning" is a much better song. It has a catchy chorus, an uptempo beat, as does the smashing title track. Sad to say that these are the jewels in an otherwise rusty box of tricks. 3/10. (June 2005)
DAVE LUBBEN : A Place Called Surrender. (Vertical Music : 26642)
Now this is what live worship albums should be about. There is nothing earth-shatteringly original here - the mixture of acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards and harmony voices will be familiar to anyone who has ever listened to Matt Redman or Delirious - but the energy and sense of simple joy and wonder in the presence of God just flows from every track. Yup, even the slower ones! All 10 songs have something to recommend them, but my personal favourites are the opener "Lord Most High", and the two closers "King of Nations" and "You Reign", which cleverly and seamlessly interweaves the traditional hymn "Crown Him with Many Crowns" - all three of which will have you singing along at the top of your lungs in no time. A truly worshipful experience. On top of that, the arrangements and musicianship are top class, and all producers of live worship albums should be forced to listen to it as a demonstration of just how good they can sound when they put their minds to it. The inclusion of full chord charts for every song is an added bonus. If you are at all interested in contemporary worship music, you owe it to yourself to at least check this album out. It is ... in a word ... terrific.
(never thought I'd give one, but) 10/10 David Cooper (March 2005, Album of the Month)
"Featuring all original, acoustic guitar-led worship songs framed in a modern production style, 'New Song' bridges the gap between the organic and the cutting-edge." A quote on the home page of David's web site, and I don't think I could have put it better myself. David hails from New Jersey, he writes all his own material, and it's soundly Scripture-based and reassuringly vertical; check out his web site for the sound clips, and you'll hear what I mean. 'Eagle Song' was the track that hit me hardest at first listen, with its catchy chug-along rhythm and lyrics inspired by Isaiah 40: 'I will run, and I will not grow faint, awaiting you Lord as you renew my strength.' 'Luke 12' uses Jesus' words that rebuke us for our lack of faith in God's ability to take care of us ('If the Lord takes care of these, there is nothing for me to fear, for he has called me his child'), and 'Psalm 103' is straight ahead praise ('Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all he's done'). Stir in good production and musicians, and we have another thoroughly competent US independent release that deserves to shift a few. 8/10 Trevor Kirk (February 2006)
DAVID CROWDER BAND : Can You Hear Us (Sixsteprecords)
The sleeve notes for this CD compare David Crowder to Rich Mullens,
and John Michael Talbot - two artists that I'm not too familiar
with. In places the vocals reminded me of Delirious, around their
King of Fools period but, to be honest, I couldn't really think
of any other band that I could compare them to. That's not a criticism,
it's good to find somebody these days with their own sound. The
only tracks that I am familiar with are a cover of Matt Redman's
"Undignified" which I thought was the best track on
the album, and the hymn "AlI Creatures of our God and King".
There are no songwriting credits, so it's anybody's guess who
wrote the rest of the tracks. All in all though, I found this
to be a strange CD. The individual tracks were all very good on
their own, but by about two thirds of the way through I found
the album a bit tiring. The arrangements seemed to be a bit too
complicated. With too much going on in the background on most
of the tracks, I found that the backing kept distracting me from
the vocals which made listening to the whole thing fairly hard.
It's a shame really because the singer has quite a good voice,
and you can tell that a lot of hard work has gone into this CD.
As seems to be the fashion these days there is a three minute
gap between the last two tracks, which is fairly annoying if you
like to play CD's in Shuffle mode. It's the production/engineering
that lets it down rather than the band themselves, who are obviously
a talented bunch. David is the Music and Arts pastor at the University
Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, so I would guess that this CD is
aimed more at the American market, where according to the sleeve
notes David has a large and growing audience. This is his debut
CD, and I think it would be fair to say that it will go down quite
well over there, but I just can't really see listeners in this
country buying too many copies. 6/10 Andy Sayner. (March 2002)
DAVE WUYTS : Clean. (CD £12.50 from Dave Wuyts, Kingsland Church Office, 2, London Road, Lexden, Colchester, Essex, CO3 4DE).
Dave Wuyts, and his musical colleagues, are based in Colchester,
Essex, where he co-leader of the Gosbecks congregation, which
is part of Kingsland Church. We have a real vision for unity and
the coming together of Christians to worship and pray for their
towns and cities. To this end, then, Dave has written 11 songs
in typical praise and worship style. Brownie point straight away
to Dave because he recorded at Appletree Studios, where Phil Goss'
expertise and advice can really polish up any rough edges there
may be. Unless you're blessed with a really good studio yourself,
paying that little extra can make all the difference. The songs
here are simple in format and are formed around passages and stories
from the Bible. The Psalms, are behind the opening track "Under
the Shadow", and speaks of refuge and safety under God's
wings. "Jesus You're My All in All" is acoustic led
that features some nice harmonies, as well as putting Sarah Greenwood's
flute/recorder playing to good use. My favourite track is "Awesome
God", where Dave finally seems to let himself go a bit and
the vocals have a little more edge than some other songs. Good
guitar work from the aforementioned Mr Goss, makes this the prime
track. Solid start from Dave Wuyts, who should be greatly encouraged
by this offering. 6/10. (November 2002)
DAVID FITZGERALD : Breath of Heaven. (ICC: ICCD54430).
Inspired by the belief that where words fail, often it is music
that speaks, it's David's belief that this album reinvigorates
songs originally conceived out of heartfelt and often exhilarating
responses to God's Spirit. Including contributions from Joanne
Hogg, Adrian Snell, as well as others, Fitzgerald uses all of
his many instrumental talents to present this album, which has
taken over four years to make, and consists of well known tunes
such as "Dear Lord & Father of Mankind" and "Hear
O Isreal". Pipes, saxophones, whistles and more, are all
used in this meditational styled album which, perhaps, lacks a
little in variation from start to finish. Some songs work very
well, such as the carefully crafted "Here I Stand",
while Kendrick's "What Grace" sounds decidedly lame.
I enjoyed the album mostly as background music while working,
as it gave a very relaxing feel to the air. One for the connoisseurs
I think. 7/10. (October 2001)
DAVID FITZGERALD : God is Love. (ICC : ICCD79630)
Beginning his musical life in the Royal Marines, David Fitzgerald's
first claim to CCM fame was in 1989 as the founding member of
'Iona'. He now pursues other interests, including solo projects
like this one, his fourth. For those unfamiliar with David's work
it should be emphasised that he is not a singer but an instrumentalist
- playing saxophones, flutes, whistles and woodwind on this album.
Some of the tracks have no clearly definable 'structure', being
more of the 'ambient' type. I prefer a track to fairly obviously
'go' somewhere. Those that do so most successfully are 'Agnus
Dei', 'No Scenes of Stately Majesty', 'There is a Green Hill'
(no, not that tune - a new one!), 'I Could Sing of Your Love Forever'
and best of all the gorgeous Chris Eaton composition 'God So Loved'.
Whilst there is an attempt to compensate for the lack of vocalists
by including the lyrics for each 'song', these don't really work
for singing along to the music, as most of the tracks are too
'arranged' for this. Beautiful playing and production however,
and probably most appropriate as background music at Christian
house parties. For these occasions worth … 8/10 Dave Deeks (June 2004)
DAVID LYLE MORRIS : King of the Ages. (Kingsway : KMCD2263)
David Lyle morris is one of those gifted worship leaders who quietly
go about their ministry with the least amount of fuss. And, by
that rule of thumb, his music, therefore, sometimes drifts by
without a second thought from the listener. However, this album
should change all that and give David the praise that his music
deserves. To get the one negative point out of the way, the music
doesn't quite have that power that is always so evident with the
likes of Hillsongs. There again, the collection of songs, here,
still does manage to convey a blend of songs old and new. "Love,
Joy, Peace" has a calypso feel that will warm the coldest
of spirits. It's followed by a great version of the classic hymn
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer". "His Name, His
Name" is, perhaps, the most worshipful song on show but the
collection, as a whole, will delight many. 8/10. (August 2000)
DAVID OSTBY : Because of You: (Fierce : FIERCD52)
David Ostby is, according to the publicity that comes with this album, "Scandinavia's best loved worship leader", and this CD is released with the aim of bridging the gap between the church and the world. This is a collection of fairly mid tempo light rock / pop worship songs, all pretty uncomplicated and straightforward. The lyrics are all fairly light going, songs that anyone can relate to, but nothing too deep an meaningful. I'd have thought that most people would be able to listen to this without any problems. There's only seven tracks on this CD, so it doesn't last that long, and I'm pretty sure that it could have carried a couple more songs without becoming tedious. Nevertheless, this is a pleasant album all round, and worth a listen if you get the chance. 7/10 Andy Sayner. (April 2009)
DAVID PHELPS : Revelation. (Word : 08068867522)
David Phelps may be a new name to many of you, but this guy has
already won many Dove & Grammy Awards, as part of the best
selling vocal group, The Gaither Vocal Band. He's also sung at
a host of Billy Graham Crusades, and is renowned for his powerful
voice. This solo album sees him wrestle with a multiple of styles,
and he wins with all hands down. The vocal power is obvious from
the start as he launches with "Arms Open Wide", a simple
song depicting how Jesus is waiting for us all. The title track
is very clever and uses numerous styles and instrumentation to
provide a tremendously inspiring number. On "Virtuoso",
David suddenly decides he wants to do a dance track and, although
you might think his vocals might not work on this type of song,
he pulls it off magnificently. I didn't like his blues attempt
of "Break Free", declaring how Jesus sets the prisoner's
free, but I think that's more my personal dislike of the blues,
rather than David singing badly. There's no wonder, people sing
his praises, for David is one, big talent. 9/10. (August 2004)
DAVID PHELPS : Legacy of Love - Live. (Word : 886712 - CD & DVD)
In this DVD and CD package we are presented with a high energy live concert given by the golden voice of David Phelps. Both discs feature the same concert - the dvd includes the usual dvd 'extras', and some of the concert songs are missing from the CD. David has been on the CCM scene for some years now and reminds me of the late Keith Green - who in the early eighties so tragically lost his life in a plane crash, along with two of his three children, whilst at the top of his game performance-wise. Permed hair, beard, enthusiastic 'power tenor' delivery - take for instance the closing note of the ubiquitous but completely re-arranged "How Great Thou Art" - and all delivered with the same enthusiasm. This is a very slickly presented concert, with some great music, delivered by an able band of musicians and singers. Production of both music and visuals is excellent - I love the way the partitions open and close to reveal the choir as required! The stand-out track for me is the closer "End of the Beginning", but other very strong ones include "Virtuoso", "Arms Open Wide", and "Already There" and in the main this is a very enjoyable release. David's 'mini sermons' are a bit 'oversincere' for English tastes however, and the lowest point comes towards the end of the proceedings, as we reach the toe-curling "Star Spangled Banner" - although the American audience seems to love it. This brings the final score down to 8/10. Dave Deeks (April 2007)
DAVID RUIS : Every Move I Make. (Vineyard : 6012 1280312 2)
For the uninitiated, David Ruis is a powerful worship leader and
songwriter, and this album features 11 of his best songs. I was
going to bite my lip here but I can't. If these are 11 of his
best, I'd hate to hear some of the bad ones! Now, before you stop
reading, there are some great numbers here. Apart from the title
track, the album's purple patch comes mid listing. "Sweet
Mercies" and "Faithful" are tremendous worship
songs and are in complete contrast to the awfulness that is "Rest
in His Promise" and "Mercy is Falling". Indeed,
there is no way I could "rest in His promise" whilst
listening to this racket. The Arabic chanting within the latter
is also very off putting, and is repeated with accompanying wailing
on "Amen". I'm afraid David Ruis joins that list of
worship leader's who 's solo albums just don't cut the mustard.
3/10. (November 2004)
DAVID WOODMAN : Audience of One. (Private CD release from: woodmanthax@aol.com)
It never ceases to amaze me how many talented guys there are out there who don't have big buck mega-deals with major labels, but who quietly go about their business of making music with little if any hype or razzamatazz. David is based at the Baptist Church in Heywood, Greater Manchester, and for many years has been an associate of a uniquely iconoclastic Messianic Lancastrian named Nick 'Breakspear' Jones; in fact, two of the songs on this CD first saw the light of day on the Breakspear album 'Is It Kosher?" The predominant style of this is up-front praise & worship, with acoustic guitar, drums, bass, keyboards and percussion, and wouldn't be out of place in any worship setting of whatever denomination. The songs tell you exactly what David's philosophy is - they're all vertical songs, addressing the Almighty directly (he is the 'Audience Of One' of the title), singing his praise ('Father We Praise You', 'I Will Sing Your Praises'), expressing thanksgiving ('Secure In Your Arms'), seeking peace ('This Poor Man'), forgiveness ('Have Mercy', 'All Things New'), and guidance ('Every Thought', 'Lead Me To Jesus'), and pleading for mercy for the nations ('Father We Cry To You'). A worthy release from a talented guy - well worth investigating. 9/10 Trevor Kirk (March 2005)
DAY OF FIRE : Day of Fire. (Essential Records)
Fans of Green Day and Nickleback will soon find that these 5 guys
have a lot in common with their secular counterparts. Sound wise,
they stand up with the best, with their crunching guitars, thumping
beats and gravel filled vocals. On songs like "Through the
Fire" and "Detainer", Day of Fire simply rock their
way through from beginning to end. "Cornerstone" shows
them in a milder mode, with some nice strings adding a good accompaniment.
But, it's the rockier sounds that work the best and the band literally
thunder their way through songs like "Time", "I
Am the Door" and "To Fly". Not usually my taste
in music, but I liked this a lot. 8/10 (February 2005)
DAY OF FIRE : Day of Fire. (Essential : 6107382)
Fans of hard metal music will enjoy this one. If the likes of Slipknot are to your taste, then I'd guess that Day of Fire will be worth a listen. Lead singer Joshua Brown's gravel toned vocals snarl their way through each song, accompanied by powerful guitars and drum beats. But, unlike some metal albums, you can actually hear what Joshua is singing. Within the songs are messages to the unchurched, to those who have yet to hear of God's word. "Detainer" tells of letting go of your past life and start anew with the Lord. "Time" rocks, and asks if you're wasting your life, while "Rain song" is a slightly more melodic number about God's rain of love for everyone. I can't say I enjoyed the album as much as, say, Building 429, but it's definitely worth a listen. 6/10. (April 2005)
dba : 'Bubble'. (Orange/Alliance).
Let me say straight away that this must be a contender for Album
of the Year, let alone the month. Robbie Bronniman and Shaz Sparkes,
together with producer Ray Goudie, produce the finest dance release
that I have ever heard. As soon as I saw for the sleeve photograph,
I hoped and prayed that the music would not be a disappointment,
and my prayers were answered. 'Spiritual Woman' ( a possible single
release) kicks things off with a 137bpm stomper, while 'Time'
is more Human League than Phil Oakey himself. The old Aretha Franklin
classic, 'I Say A Little Prayer' gets the 150bpm jungle treatment
while 'Planet Love' and 'Reason Why' have 'class' written all
over them. It's not all high energy, at 103bpm 'Kiss the Sky'
is masterful. This puts lots of chart stuff to shame and deserves
to break into the secular market. Don't just sit there, buy it!
10/10. (August 1996, Album of the Month)
dba : Spectrum. (Dtox : 5028519025128)
Five years after their brilliant "Bubble" album, Shaz
Sparks and Robbie Bronnimann return with a dance sound that is
full of electronica, synths, and great dance beats. 80's pop star
and, now, top producer Howard Jones lends a hand co-writing some
of the songs but Bronnimann's skills and talents are there for
all to see. For someone who usually cringes at the dance music
of today, I especially liked the title track - it's exceptional
in both quality and sound. Release now as a single - it would
be a monster hit. "Oceans of Love" is actually a communion
song about God's cup but is so catchy, that even non-Christians
listening started to nodding in time with the beat. "When
the Light Has Gone" is another star track but, then, most
of them are. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself but I found one
or two a little samey in sound - a sign of age maybe? There again,
why do I like the rest of the album so much? My daughter is still
listening to "Bubble", so this one is bound to have
the same longevity. Highly recommended. 9/10. (June 2002)
DC TALK : Supernatural. (Forefront : 7243 8251952 2).
Three years after the amazing success of 'Jesus Freak' comes the
follow up release from DC Talk. Never ones to compromise, they
basically leave the winning formula of the previous album for
a more guitar driven rock sound that really could be anyone. Here
and there, the distinctive band sounds are still there but the
overall sound is lost in a cacophony of grungy music in songs
like 'It's Killing Me', and 'Consume Me'. It's track 5 'My Friend'
that is the song to really bite, complete with a chorus that has
had me singing it for days now. The single 'Into Jesus' was an
obvious biggie and is supported well by the bouncy 'Since I Met
You'. Beyond these few songs it's all a bit of a mess. I was expecting
something better and I don't think that I'll be the only one to
be disappointed with 'Supernatural'. 6/10. (December 1998)
DC TALK : Intermission. (Forefront : 7243 8252742 8)
In my years as a Christian, I've watched and listened as these
three guys have literally ripped to shreds, the confines of religious
music. Now, arguably, their best music is captured on one new
album, presenting a momento for those who know them, and a gob-smacking
introduction for those about to encounter DC Talk for the very
first time. "Say the Words", "Coloured People",
"Jesus Is Just Alright", "Between You And Me",
are just the first, four tracks and they lay down the foundations
of a really strong album. Of course, "Supernatural's"
included, as is the awesome "Jesus Freak" - the latter
still pumping adrenalin some 5 years after it's release. The album
also charts the changes in musical style as we travel through
indie, rap, metal, and even disco dance. Towards the end of this
19 track album, things get a little tiring but, by then, even
the most hardened of hearts will have found plenty to feed upon.
9/10. (January 2001)
DC TALK: Jesus Freak (10th Anniversary Special Edition) - EMI FFD11571
The mid 1990s were a time when mediocrity & compromise reigned supreme in the Christian music scene, with next to nothing that could reach the church youth as it was so desperately un-cool! Changes were afoot when DC Talk released "Jesus Freak" in 1995 which seemed to act as a much needed wake-up call & catalyst for change. The question is now; will this 10th Anniversary special edition release still cut the mustard & have an impact? If you're a DC Talk virgin, you may find the mix of styles unusual. "So Help Me God" has a hint of Happy Mondays about it, "Jesus Freak" mixes a cracking rocky riff with essence of Nirvana & the relaxed "What If I Stumble" winds down the pace but still strikes a chord with lyrics that can touch a nerve, speaking of the times when we're all afraid of that step of faith outside out comfort zones. The tracks are interspersed with occasional abstract sound bites such as talking over a backing track from a studio neighbour & a truly awful reprise of "Jesus Freak" - certainly not there for the musical value, but listen to them & they are quite amusing! This being a special edition, there is a 2nd 14 track CD comprising a combination of remixed tracks & live versions plus 1 previously unreleased demo version of "Mind's Eye" - although this represents great value, I cannot honestly say any of them greatly added to the Jesus Freak listening experience. This is a CD that will doubtless end up in pride of place in the collections of most hardcore DC Talk fans, but for potential new converts, it's maybe not a combination that'll jump out & bite you on first listen. Give it a go though - it does grow on you. Worth listening to for the rocky riffs & the no-compromise lyrics alone. 6/10 Simon Redfern (July 2007)
DC TALK : Greatest Hits. (EMI : 94638 82542)
With over 7 million records sold world wide, and numerous Grammy and Dove Awards, DC Talk are rightly hailed as one of the biggest CCM groups of all time. Since the release of 'Intermission', the groups members have gone their separate ways, and various solo projects have been released. However, this new compilation gives chance for new fans to see just what all the fuss was about. There are 18 tracks featured and it kicks off with, for me, THE definitive DC Talk song. I remember watching in awe as I first saw the video to 'Jesus Freak'. Even now, some ten years on, it's raw, nerve jangling delivery still raises the hairs on the back of my neck. Another favourite is 'Coloured People', a lot smoother in delivery but just as infectious. There's other highlights such as 'Jesus Is Just Alright' and 'Between You and Me', but I found these to be a little bland compared to those which had gone before. 'In the Light' is a song I sang many times a few years ago, and it was nice to re-visit that one. If it's rock you want, then look no further than 'Supernatural' with it's storming guitar work. It's an album for new fans, I think, and I'm sure that they will embrace a band who were years ahead of the rest. 8/10. (October 2007)
DEBBIE SIMPSON : Richer in Faith. (CD : £10 from www.raindropsmusic.co.uk)
Debbie is currently training as a Methodist Minister and has just
recovered from a long illness. The latter being the main reason
why this debut CD has taken 13 months to record. The moment I
heard the opening "Safe in His Arms" I knew that I was
going to like it. It's great pop song that's well constructed
and has some nice jangly guitar moments within. I can't say that
Debbie has a particularly strong voice and that does show on the
title track. However, she does use her vocals well and on songs
like "Breathe on Me" and the 60's folk tinged "Stay
Close to Me". One of my favourites on the album is "I
Believe" that, although simply put together, has a terrific
- almost 70's punk - chorus. Ably assisted by the likes of David
Cooper, Dave Keagan, Mark Pierce, and Antoine Robinson, Debbie
comes up with good first release that should see her make some
waves in the mor market place. Not one for the teens, but there's
plenty of us oldies around! 7/10. (December 2002)
DEBBIE SIMPSON : Set Me Free. (CD available from www.raindropmusic.co.uk)
Two years after her debut album, Hull based Debbie arrives with
a 14 track offering that sees her mature as a writer and co-producer.
"Set Me Free" opens the listing and it's simplicity
is it's strength. Great keyboard work by Antoine Robinson, and
the richness of Debbie's vocals, make for a perfect marriage and
a wonderful result. "Be Still and Wait" is a moving
little song, but the use of the flute does detract the listener
somewhat. "Close to Your Eyes" is a carefully crafted
worship song that I played again and again, such was it's beauty.
From then on, the track listing goes a little more poppy. I found
the production of "The Other Side of the Rainbow" a
little messy, but songs such as "Jesus Sends His Angels"
and "Safe in His Arms" shine out brightly. "You're
All Around Me" has an infectious beat to it and the closing
"Take Us Home" is very poignant. The lyrics all seem
to gel together nicely and I think that Debbie has found a winning
formula. With a live band to back her now, all that she needs
are regular concerts to finely tune some of those rough edges.
8/10. (February 2005)
DEBBY BARNES : Lay Hold. (Private CD recording.
Here's something a little "off the wall", in the shape
of an American born singer/songwriter, now residing in Oxfordshire.
Debby Barnes seems to have got some very good media attention
in the southern part of the UK but is, practically, unknown, north
of the midlands. "Lay Hold" demonstrates some thoughtful
lyric writing and combines it with various musical styles. The
title track is very radio friendly and jogs along in a poppy sort
of way. "You Are the Lord" then moves into blues, while
"No-one Else Will Do" coasts along quite nicely, and
could be one of those memorable tracks which visions one driving
along the US highway, top down, and radio playing loud. Debby's
got a little bit of the quirkiness of Julie Miller in her songs,
but the vocals give more warmth, perhaps in the mould of Sarah
Masen. "Just Move On" proves the point, I think, while
we get a Latin feel to "Holy Ranger". From there, it's
folk, for "Come And See", and back to blues for "Come
Get the Love". The main distraction, I felt, was that Debby
jumps from one style to another with out any great conviction.
Even the beautiful, closing "Doxology" finds her in
celtic mood - another style. For me, all that Debby lacks is the
consistency that all the style changes fail to provide. Most songs
are good but the blues just gave me the blues. Nevertheless, worth
investigating. 7/10. (October 2001)
7 years since I last reviewed this lady, Debby Barnes returns with an interesting musing called 'Messages'. Her website tells readers that her faith, amongst other things, has been tested and, maybe, this resulting release gives hope to all as she turns strong Biblical messages into a well crafted collection of songs. The celtic fiddle on 'Ever & Always' gives the opening song an Iona feel, but with Debby's edgy vocals. Based on a verse from Philippians, 'Maybe' tells how "we have shared together the blessings of God". 'Clinging to the Cross' is based around Psalm 36 and the mainly acoustic backing makes this a very poignant ditty. What makes Debby so individual is that I cannot think of another current artist who sounds like her. Years ago, a singer called Janis Ian might have given her a run for her money, but Debby has certainly moved on from the quirkiness of her Julie Miller days. 'Stay' is performed in a Latin style and I believe this to be the strongest track on the album. For me, there's just a slight blip on 'Only You' and 'Bleeding Heart'. The songs are quite similar but I personally thought that the brass sounds detracted from Debby's vocals. I guess, that in the main, her style is influenced by folk, but she adds enough twists in her music to make this album stand out from the norm. 9/10 (February 2009)
DEE MOORE : Don't Wait. (CD Recording £5)
Dee has previously toured the UK as a member of the Birmingham
Mass Choir, and also sang backing for Simply Red during the 1996
European Championship Draw. Now, she's concentrating on a solo
career and releases her first single, "Don't Wait".
With influences such as Shirley Caesar and the Winans, it's the
latter to which I can make comparison to. The main track is a
dance mix and would be perfect for mainstream radio or club play.
Nice rhythm, catchy beat, and sweet vocals that could melt the
hardest of hearts. "Reaching Out to You" is a slower
number and had me thinking of Eternal's hits, and this is good,
too. "Let Go and Let God" didn't quite make the same
grade but, overall, I think that Dee Moore could have a big hit
on her hands. In typical fashion, there's various mixes of "Don't
Go", of which, the club mix is the best. 9/10. (April 2000, Album of the Month)
DEE MOORE : Dee Moore. (Divine Intavention/Agape Media Ministries.)
Since the release of her debut Cd a couple of years ago, Dee Moore
has slowly, but surely, been making ripples in the world of UK
gospel. She states that artists like Mary Mary, Desitny's Child,
and Shola Ama are amongst her influences and the results show
great respect. Not that this is just another young girl jumping
on the pop bandwagon, Dee has been singing for most of her 23
years. This 5 track CD showcases 3 songs and 2 re-mixes. The first
two "Reaching Out to You" and "Let Go and Let God"
both tell of the simple truth about Jesus and His love for anyone
of us who answers His knock on our door. The songs are quite laid
back and Dee's vocals are a dream delight. "Defined"
changes tempo a little and the vocals become a bit more attack
minded, but the quality of both song and vocal remain high. I
wasn't so keen on the "Let Go…" remix, but the
dance version of "Reaching Out…" would not be out
of place on any club album currently being traded around. Like
all budding artists, she needs a break if she's going to make
a breakthrough for the Lord into the secular market. However,
if someone sees the same in her that someone saw in Destiny's
Child, she certainly has all the right qualities. 9/10. (June 2001, Album of the Month)
DELIRIOUS? : Live & in the Can. (Furious? 0004)
This is very good. See them live, Delirious? are excellent. The
sound? Well, it's a sort of U2, guitar rock, and their own original
style. This album was recorded live during 1996 and contains all
the 'cutting edge' numbers that people know so well. "I Am
Not Ashamed" is a favourite of mine, while "Obsession"
is another. The rocky sound hits hard and drives right in. As
a band, they're superb, excellent musicians. Live, I just wonder
what Martin Smith is on? 10/10 R.W. (May 1997, Album of the Month)
DELIRIOUS? : Glo (Furious? : FURYCD3)
You know the story. Delirious? (the darlings of UK CCM) have gone
back to their roots and released an album that takes the Brit
sound of recent records, with that of their early praise &
worship songs. The result is "Glo" and album that has
already received a tremendous response in both Britain and further
afield. Drawing on passion, power, polish, impact, intimacy, creativity
and credibility, Delirious? present 15 tracks that range from
ordinary to anthemic brilliance. The ordinary comes in the shape
of things like "Glo in the Dark - part 1". Not quite
sure what the idea behind this was but it sounds like Oasis meet
death metal. Nevertheless "Glo in the Dark - part 2) is completely
different and gets into Manic Street Preachers territory. The
anthemic brilliance is track 7, "My Glorious". Martin
Smith at his vocal best, and the rest of the band bringing praise
and worship to the youth of today as only Delirious? can. "Hang
on To You", "Intimate Stanger", and "The Years
Go By" all improve on second hearing and it's no wonder that
fans old and new are buying this in ship loads.
8/10. (November 2000)
DELIRIOUS? : Pro-mod:e (Furious? : Video 2)
After finally getting my hands on the album "Glo" last
month, the Delirious? Video popped through my letter box at the
beginning of December. With 8 main tracks on show, there's footage
from Wembley Stadium TRACK 3, various band shoots, and the enigmatic
60's pastiche of TRACK 6, where the lads take off The Monkees
zany humour. "Deeper" is the opener, with it's infectious
guitars and Martin Smith's cheeky little boy look that reminds
me so much of John Lydon. Then, it's deeper still, as the more
aggressive "Promise" asks the question of your promise
to God. Watching the video's, for me, was far better than just
listening to an album. In the same way that I saw so much of the
band's ministry in a live situation three years ago, the video
shows much more about Delirious? As a whole. The latest American
release "Everything" is also on show, and there's even
extra footage thrown in a the end, along with a couple of bonus
tracks. For me, getting hold of my Stryper video 10 years ago
was memorable, Delirious? Fans should think likewise of this -
it's superb. 10/10. (January 2001, Video)
DELIRIOUS? : Waiting For the Summer. (Furious : CD 001)
So, as I write, the latest assault on the pop charts is over,
at least for now, from Martin Smith and the rest of Delirious?
How did it fair? Well, entering the Top 40 at number 26 would
be, I expect, a slight disappointment but, then, it has been some
time since all but their biggest fans had heard anything from
them. The song? Well, it's fast, it's furious, it's bouncy, it's
happy, it's fun, and it sounded like Supergrass did a couple of
years ago. Twanging guitars and "la, la,la" backing
vocals gave it a summery feel but, perhaps, like the weather,
we're still waiting for that hot Delirious? single. 7/10. (July 2001)
DELIRIOUS? : Take Me Away (Furious : CDFURY8)
Release date : 23rd July 2001
No sooner had I written the epitaph to "Waiting For the Summer",
when a pre-release copy of the next Delirous? Single dropped through
my letter box. Is that really a Bontempi organ being used at the
beginning of the song? It doesn't matter as some serious lo-fi
bass and drums enter the scene, accompanied by some great guitars
and vocals. So, I put the single to the test and played it a couple
of times to a group of 15 year old girls all with school books
covered in the latest pictures of Westlife, A1, Stereophonics,
and the like. This was the response;
Amy: "It's a bit like Offspring. It's okay".
Laura: "It's good, who are Delirious?"
Gemma: (who knew who Delirious were) "It's a lot better
than "Waiting for the Summer". That was *#*!".
Louise: "Play it again, that was ace".
So, there you have it. Those were just four out of twenty or so
who heard it and, on the whole, the single was voted a hit. As
for me, I agree, this COULD be the one! 9/10. (July 2001)
DELIRIOUS? : Audio Lessonover. (Furious? Records)
So, for their 4th studio album, Delirious? turned to producer
Chuck Zwicky (Semisonic, Prince, Madonna) to aid craft their new
sound. New sound? Well, new sound for Delirous? Maybe, but not
for The Beatles and U2, all of which the D-boys seem to imitate
on this album. Sad to report that "Take Me Away" failed
to bother the Top singles chart at all in the UK, which I find
incredible as I like it more every time I play it. I still think
tit contains one of the best guitar breaks of the year. "Waiting
For the Summer" opens the listing and, after Take Me…",
we move into a Beatlesque "Love is the Compass, complete
with orchestral pads. The U2 influences turn up on the guitar
driven "Fire" and "Show Me Heaven" where Martin
Smith does his best not to slip into bono impressions. Great songs,
great delivery. My favourite has to be "Angel in Disguise"
which I can see going down a storm at Wembley or equally as intense
at a praise and worship event. My other worry, and this may be
just me, is that I failed to understand far too many of the lyrics
this time round. "Bicycle Gasoline"? No, it didn't get
my spiritual motor out of first gear, and neither did "Stealing
Time". If this is a new sound for Delrious?, then it's going
to take a bit of time for their fans to get use to it. 7/10. (September 2001)
DELIRIOUS? : I Could Sing of Your Love Forever. (Furious? Records)
Following the rather disappointing chart response to the last
two singles, it's a very brave step that Delirious? have taken
in releasing a revamped version of this classic praise and worship
song. However, one thing you can be sure of from this band is
that they will never give up what is at the centre of their lives
just to the media. From the moment Martin Smith's opening vocals
raise up the name of God, you're transported into a song of love
and praise only a relationship with God can produce. The beauty
of the song is it's simplicity and the wonderful feeling that
comes from the heavenly voices during the chorus. I'm almost crying
by the time it's finished and I just want to play it again, and
again, and again…..10/10. (December 2001)
DELIRIOUS? : Deeper. (Furious? : Furycd5)
A history lesson. In 1994 a worship band known as Cutting Edge
provided left of centre worship for a hometown event. There, songs
like "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever", "The
Happy Song", and "Lord You Have My Heart", first
saw the light of day. From there, the passionate buzz grew into
epidemic proportions and the band renamed themselves Delirious?
Albums, tours, Top 20 singles, have come and gone but their belief
and their cause remains steadfast. This double CD captures that
spirit and breathes new life into some old favourites such as
"History Maker" and "Revival Town". However,
with so many songs on show, there's bound to be a fair mix of
those you do and don't like. For me, the second Cd is stronger,
particularly songs like "Jesus' Blood" and "King
of Love". Not that the first doesn't have it's moments but,
it's just not as good. If you want to know what all the fuss about
Delirious? is, or you want to replace those hissy tapes, it's
worth your money. 6/10. Andy Sayner. (March 2002)
DELIRIOUS? : Access:d - Live worship in the key of D. (Fierce Distribution)
This album clicked with me straight away. It is one of the best
worship albums I've heard for a long time. There is a real sense
that the audience are having a real good time, although by the
way that they join in the songs it's plain to see that they are
all serious fans. Its not
often that double CD's can hold the attention all the way through
both discs, but I must say that I really liked all the tracks,
and there are 26 songs here! In fact the only thing that I didn't
like, which is a personal thing, is that I always like to know
where the different tracks were recorded and there's no detailed
information, but that doesn't in any way detract from the music.
Delirious fans will already know all the tracks on this album
I should think. As far as I could tell there was nothing unheard
of on it, but I personally would be willing to shell out for it.
It also comes in a rather neat looking tin box too. 10/10 Andy
Sayner. (April 2003)
DELIRIOUS? : World Service. (Fierce : Furycd8p)
2.5 years since their last studio album, Delirious? return with
World Service. Have they moved on, musically? Well, they've gone
from Brit pop to a more mature U2 sound. "Inside Out"
could well be a Bono number, as it contains all the well known
Irishman's traits, but is a super song nevertheless. "Majesty"
has grown on me so much over the last couple of weeks, as I dismissed
it quite easily on first play - funny how that can happen. "Mountains
High" and "Feel It Coming On" both failed to inspire
me and, indeed, I had to switch the former off. I think that,
at times, the band tends to "over-do" the guitar sounds
and the result is a wall of mush. However, fair play to the guys
as, at least, this band never rests on it's laurels. "Grace
Like A River" and" I Was Blind" work well but I'm
not sure if we'll see any great assault on the secular charts.
A real pity. 7/10. (December 2003)
DELIRIOUS? : The Mission Bell. (Furious? Records).
With Delirious' 8th studio album, "The Mission Bell" album is a call to prayer, a cry out to God, a warning that nothing can ever be the same again. From the first track, "Stronger", you hear those bold guitars and strong melodies, that can only come from one British CCM band. "On Christ, the 'Solid Rock' we stand", claims track three, and time has proved that Delirious? certainly do. The band seem to have let the current UK influences of, say, Snow Patrol, creep in, and I really feel it's their most commercial album for some time. There's a mid-album dip of a couple of songs, before the anthemic "Love Is a Miracle" rises triumphant from the speakers. Then, it's time for the raw, brash sound of the current single, which deserves to be a big hit. "I'll See You When You Get There" rounds things off, but not before you've heard Delirious? at their best. 9/10. (November 2005)
DELIRIOUS : Now is the Time. (Furious? Records - FURYDVD02P)
Continuing the trend of releasing live cds and dvds together in the same package, Delirious get in on the act with "Now is the Time". Arguably the biggest Christian band in the UK in recent years we get a chance to sample the band in full flow at Willow Creek, Chicago, USA. What Delirious may lack in technical ability, they more than make up for in terms of passion and energy and this is evident from the very first track "Here I Am Send Me", the band involving the audience from the word go. The album then works its way through a number of their trademark U2 inspired rock melodies, with hard guitars playing off against Martin Smith's haunting vocals. Then there's the big soundscapes too and the more emotional moments in songs such as "Our God Reigns". With the obligatory behind the scenes documentary et al, there is plenty on here to keep you entertained for quite a few hours. All in all, not an album to win the band new fans maybe, but one which should surely be in the collection of every Delirious afficionado. 7/10 Robin Thompson. (November 2006)
DELIRIOUS? : Glo/Mezzamorphis. (Furious? : FURYCD11
Delirious? are of course the band who famously brought us the worship song 'I could sing of your love forever' - although back in 1995 when they did, they were actually called 'Cutting Edge'! Many things have happened to the band since those days, including positions in the 'secular' charts and live appearances with Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams. Here we have re-issues of two of their albums. 'Mezzamorphis' is from 1999 - a 'secularly edited' version of which was released by Virgin at the time, with singles seeing some chart success. 'Glo' (short for 'glorious') is from 2000 and is more worship-oriented. The best tracks for me on this 2-CD set are from the earlier album. 'Follow' includes a chorus with a strong hook, 'It's OK' is a quieter track with a good melody, 'See the star' is similarly appealing, and 'Love falls down' is straightforward rock - complete with jangly guitars. 'Glo' does include some worth a mention, including the acoustic guitar-led 'What would I have done', the anthemic 'Awaken the dawn', and the atmospheric and well sung 'Jesus blood'. My main problem with Delirious? is the poor sound quality of their studio-recorded output. These old ears struggle with the nasty digital/raspy edge to the vocals, the muddy thickness to the sound that seems to wring much of the music out of the music - if you would like to hear more of how the band can really sound, I would recommend the 2006 'Live at Willow Creek' DVD. Their excellent web site is worth checking out at www.delirious.co.uk. 6/10. David Deeks (Feburary 2008)
DELIRIOUS? : Cutting Edge One & Two/Three & Fore. (Fierce! : FURYCD12)
For those of you who thought that Delirious? had been around since the mid-90's, think again. A few years earlier, the boys brought out four EP's under the title Cutting Edge. When these songs were first released here in the UK, it really was 'cutting edge' stuff - praise and worship like we'd never encountered. Perhaps it's a mark of just how important this music was, as so many contemporary praise and worship in the following years have that same sound. Listening again, it was good to hear well known songs like 'Thank You For Saving Me', the wonderful 'I Could Sing of Your Love Forever' and the tingling sense of God's glory I always get when hearing 'Shout to The North'. These songs have stood the test of time but there are others that still need to be heard. 'What is This Thing Called Love' and 'The Crucible For Silver' both stir the soul while Smith's gentle vocals on the acoustic 'King of Love' shares quieter moments with God. If yo already have the original cassette versions of these EP's, perhaps this would be a good time to "upgrade". For others, it's a time to catch up and see just what all the fuss was about, all those years ago. 7/10 (Feburary 2008)
DELIRIOUS? : Kingdom of Comfort. (Fierce!)
This is Delirious?' eleventh studio album, and what a corker it is! Where, in my opinion, their previous release found the boys in the comfort zone, 'Kingdom of Comfort' sees them move into new territory, with a whole new zest for their musical life. The title track starts quite slowly but, then, picks up in power as it shakes the listener out of your comfort zone. Martin Smith's vocals are at their best, and never more so than on the attack minded 'God is Smiling'. 'Give What You've Got' is a slightly heavier sound about not wasting your life, while 'Love Will Find A Way' tells of God's love breaking through any barrier. I really thought that the band were on-song throughout this album and there's some pretty potent, praise with 'We Give You Praise'. I could write about each song, because they all so strong in their own way but, overall, this must be one of the band's strongest albums to date. 10/10 (March 2008, Album of the Month)
DELIRIOUS? : My Soul Sings. (Furious : FURYDVD03)
This is a double disk set featuring a DVD of a live performance in Bogota, at a church which has 200,000 members apparently, Communion must take a while then! Also there's a CD of the same concert, but with some of the
tracks removed. It's not a bad show, although there's a few of those 1970's TOTP visual effects in evidence here and there. Most of the stuff you'd expect is here, "Rain Down", "Deeper", "Majesty" "History Maker" and the
title track of course. If you like Delirious? then you'll like this, it's as simple as that really. There's one really cheesy bit though, at the end Martin Smith comes onstage wearing a weird crown thing on his head. I know it illustrates the point of the song, but the thing is mate, Freddie Mercury
could carry it off, anybody else just looks a bit of a berk, and you aren't Freddie Mercury. Other than that though this is quite good. 8/10 Andy Sayner. (May 2009)
THE DELUGE BAND : Bethany Live presents...(Integrity Music : 43712)
This is a live worship CD featuring one Jonathan Stockstill, who I must confess I have never heard of before. Despite this though I really enjoyed listening to this CD. This is definitely not just the constant re-hashing of the same old stuff that we've all heard before, but an original sounding band, leading worship where the people in the crowd seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. It was recorded in front of 7000 people at a youth convention. The CD starts with a drum solo (only a short one fortunately), and then the first track "I Believe" opens. This is a fairly up tempo song, who's structure reminds me quite a lot of "The Police" in their early days, with the clever rhythms and guitar work. After two or three songs we settle into a more restrained style, and with the audience/congregation joining in this is quite powerful sounding stuff. There's nothing on here that I've heard before, but it's obvious that the people who were there know the songs well. The only thing for me that spoils it, is that the last track, instead of carrying on to a proper ending just suddenly fades out. I know it's only a small niggle, but it just seemed to be a bit disappointing knowing that there was more. Apart from that though, this is an excellent example of what contemporary worship should be like. If you come across this CD buy it. 9/10 Andy Sayner. (August 2008)
DENVER & THE MILE HIGH ORCHESTRA. : Timeless Christmas. (ICC : ICC0896D)
Formed by a group of friend's at Nashville's Belmont University
in 1999, this group of musicians is comprised of three trumpet
players, three saxophonists, two trombone players, and a rhythm
section. The sound is unique and energetic, and on this album
they give fresh sounds to classic Christmas songs. I couldn't
help but smile and feel happy when I played the opening track.
"Jungle Bells" gets the big band treatment and takes
you back to the 40's and 50's era with fine vocals enriching the
musical sounds. The same can be said of "The Most Wonderful
Time of the Year" and the quieter, but well delivered, "Born
Tonight". I didn't like the blues take on "Frosty the
Bluesman" but the smooth sounding "This Christmas"
soon rectified this. I thought that, late on, the sounds got into
a jamming session rather than an organised song, and the closing
"This Must Be the Place" sounds more like a Michael
W Smith song than anything else. Hats off to the band for a different
approach to Christmas. 7/10. (December 2005)
DENVER & THE MILE HIGH ORCHESTRA : Good to Go. (ICC : ICCD0923D
The cover of this album proclaims 'Sizzling swing and big band! Sounds like James Brown and Jools Holland'. As Brown and Holland sound nothing like one another I was curious to discover how Denver had pulled off this particular trick! This is indeed a cracking big band (Nashville based, with three trumpet players, three saxophone players, two trombone players and a rhythm section) but features on only seven of the thirteen tracks, with five of these in the 'swing' style. Denver has a good voice (though clearly digitally assisted tuning-wise), but sounds like neither James nor Jools. Trade descriptions inspectors should therefore cover eyes and ears! The title track 'Good to Go' starts proceedings and is classic big band 'swing'. 'The Real Deal' is more contemporary yet features the big band, whilst 'Jesus, only Jesus' is straightforward CCM with no big band at all. 'Prelude' is a pleasant orchestral instrumental leading straight into 'Miracle to me', possibly the best track, again featuring strings. The contemporary arrangements are the most complete pieces of work - largely because of the integration of lyrical and musical styles. The 'big band' tracks tend to be less successful as whilst their titles sound appropriately 'sassy' ('Good to go', 'The real deal', 'Get down'), the Christian 'stock phrases' found in some of the lyrics (e.g. 'You're my Lord of Lords and King of Kings') sit a little unhappily in such settings. Excellent musicianship then, some very good tunes - but more variety than it says on the tin. www.denvermho.com. 7/10. Dave Deeks (January 2006)
DEP4 : Popular Friction. (CD £12 from: 11 Spring Road, Rhosddu, Wrexham, LL11 2LU, Wales).
Sounding not a million light years away from The Beautiful South,,
at times, DEP4 present their debut full length album. Twelve songs,
all written by singer and guitarist Tony Cornish, and ably backed
by Kev Plant on bass and John Ramm on drums and percussion. Based
in Wales, this threesome have travelled as far as Northern England
to take their ministry into venues such as prisons. As for the
musical style, well it's never going to produce a mosh pit at
the front of the stage. It's more like, sitting, tapping your
feet, and listening to each song as it tells it's own story. "Pick
It Up Downstream" is all about losing your way in your walk
with God. But, as we all know, just because you fall, it doesn't
mean that we can't ask the Lord to pick us up and dust us down
once again. One of my favourite tracks is the last one, "The
Real Cost of Living". This looks at how so many people live
for the 'now', as well as what they can get out of life, forgetting
the most important things. As I say, there's plenty of foot tapping
to do whilst listening, but not many that you find yourself actually
singing along with. However, "Here Comes Summer" is
one exception, and very welcome it is too. For me, the album takes
a little while to get going but, then, it may be that I'm imagining
it in a live set listing. The lyrical depth of Tony's writing
is very good and it really is an album that makes the listener
think about themselves. Now, how many albums do that? 8/10. (August 2001)
DEREK WEBB : She Must & Shall go Free. (inorecords : 000768250129)
Here's the former member of Caedmon's Call, with his debut offering.
The media havealready called him a cross between Keith Green and
Bob Dylan and, while I'm not an expert on the former's music,
there is an element of early Dylan here. "Beloved" sounds
the most like Dylan, complete with it's harmonica breaks. The
style of the album takes in a bit of country, a little bluegrass,
and a pinch of folk, and the result is quite uninteresting. Lyrically
as sound as the next Jesus album but as bland as they come musically.
I found trhe last three songs the highlight of a very disappointing
debut from Mr Webb. 2/10. (January 2004, Album of the Month)
DESPERATION : From the Rooftops. (Vertical Music : 29862)
"From a desperate generation of worshippers crying out to
our God emerges 14 all new songs. Recorded live at the International
Desperation Conference in Colorado Springs, experience this life
changing time of worship filled with high emotion, strong passion
and delicate intimacy". Well, that's enough of the sleeve
notes, what about the facts? The album begins in typical uptempo
style, with bouncy numbers that are aimed to raise the excitement
levels of those gathered. It does, therefore, beg the question,
"is this sort of event becoming more of a performance concert,
than one of worship?" I'll let you contemplate on that one.
Imagine the likes of Matt Redman, Paul Oakley and Martin Smith
leading worship at, say, SpringHarvest. This, then, has a similar
feel. The faster numbers like "Everyone Praises" and
"Rooftops" are complimented later on by the prayerful
worship of "Amazed". Also included on the CD are printable
chord charts and lyrics so, if you fancy your church having a
go at some of the songs, you've got all the help you need. 8/10. (August 2004)
DESPERATION BAND : Everyone Overcome. (Integrity : 42612)
Apparently, the New Life Church in Colorado Springs has had to rise above some troubles in it's life over the last few months, and this album looks to help lift the spirits. I'm afraid the cynic in me wonders just how many more songs can the words "Shine your light" be fitted in as a song's main phrase? There again, the song itself does sound fresh and bouncy, so I shouldn't complain. There's some great, pacey guitars on 'I Know' - a song of declaration of faith in Jesus - and 'Taking Over Now'. The pace does subside, however, with the 12 minute epic called 'Overcome'. It's a very reflective number and seems to have been written out of some real hurting. Jared Anderson is one of the main songwriters and leaders of the band, and some of the vocals are tremendous. This is especially true in track 8, 'Pleasing to You'. Along with some stirring guitar playing, the vocals lift up some great worship. One recent review of this album says that the songs are "congregational friendly", but I disagree. Personally, I think the songs are more performance orientated with little chance for the listener to join in. Mind you, it's a good listen! 8/10 (April 2008)
Dimitri are a funky outfit from Devon, and have achieved national distribution for their album via Integrity Music. The album has already reached number 4 on the Crossrhythms Chart, and has received much airplay from various radio stations in the UK. At their smoothest, the band sounds like Simply Red, but when they up the tempo, it's more on a level with Jamiroqui. And, as Jason Kay is to Jamiroqui, so lead singer Jimi K seems to be the focal point of Dimitri. He writes and sings all the songs, and predominantly features on all of the website photographs. The title track talks of the natural feeling you get when Jesus sets your heart free, and it's one of the funkier sounds on the album. "Traveller" tells of life being a journey, and it's a really smooth sound with a lovely saxophone break. The saxophone returns to the fore on what I'd call a chill out number, that being "Can't Stop Crying", which also features some nice guitar work. The album finishes with a totally different sound to everything else on the album. "Save Me" is a great song, about crying out to God. Without wishing to sound too cliché, if you like the music of their secular counterparts, then Dimitri will satisfy your musical hunger. 8/10. (April 2006)
DIONNE WARWICK : Why We Sing. ((Rhino : 3460442)
Dionne Warwick is a name that stretches back into the early 60's for me. Even as a very young boy, I can remember seeing her on the TV. A recent UK tour proved that she's still as popular today and this gospel album sees her going back to her roots. Joined by a gospel choir, she starts the album off with a very lethargic version of the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic'. It's all very laid back and the song suffers greatly. 'With All My Heart' is a nice song and possibly one for the radio. She mixes the traditional gospel sound with RnB, and even gets very happy, and clappy, on Rise, Shine and Give God the Glory'. I liked the gentle sounds on the ballad, 'The World Needs Jesus', and the duet with David Elliot, singing 'Seven'. I can't say that this is an album that I will be playing again in the near future, but as far as gospel sounds go, it's everything you would expect from a lady of high renown. 6/10 (March 2009)
DISCIPLE : Disciple. (Epic : 000768351925)
For those of you who like your music heavy and hard hitting, this is for you. Driving rhythms, crunching guitars and metal vocals ensure that listening to Disciple is not for the faint-hearted. "Into Black" tells of the assurance of God's love, while "Shine Down" tells that having a relationship with the Lord is worth leaving everything else behind. Indeed, the focus of the albums lyrics are on promoting harmony with God, and knowing Jesus as your saviour. Green Day fans may well like the punk elements within the album, but it's the heavier sound of "Worth It All", that you can really get your teeth into. I didn't enjoy the album as much as, say, Pillar, but the album as a whole does stand up well to it's secular counterparts. 6/10.(September 2005)
DISCTRONICA : Electric Hymns. (KMG : D8690)
All the tracks on this album contain strong Christian lyrics set
to a modern dance beat. The beat varies from rock, on "Scarlet
Letter" (our favourite) and "Rock of Ages" to the
Ibiza club dance sound of "Glory On Your House" and
"King of Kings & Power and Might". All the tracks
are written by Robert Parr and performed by various artists. The
album as a whole could be compared to Raze or WWMT. We both enjoyed
reviewing this album , which should appeal to most young Christians,
as well as 40 year old+ teenagers like ourselves. 8/10. Tim
& Pam Robinson. (February 2000)
DISTINCTIVE SOUNDS : More Than A Song. (ICC : ICCD74130)
This enhanced CD package contains not only 10 new worship songs,
but all the things you might need to use them in your church …
Chord Charts, OHP transparencies, Sheet Music, etc. all neatly
bundled up in a flashy CD-ROM presentation that also includes
ideas for worship, ways to improve your band and a whole host
of useful (or so it tells me) internet links to take you even
further. But stick it in an ordinary CD player rather than your
PC/MAC and you will just get the songs, and all the flashy presentation
in the world won't help if the music isn't up to snuff. So is
it? To be honest, I wasn't holding out much hope based on what
it looks like (uninspiring would be the understatement of the
year), but I was more encouraged when I saw Andy Flannagan's name
here. The songs include contributions from Andy and a couple of
other writers, and in Flannagan's "Help Me Hold On"
and Jamie Hill's "We Are Your People" (both owing more
than a little of their sound to Delirious?) the CD starts and
ends on easily the two most inspiring tracks. The rest are OK
without being anything special. Judged solely as an album of music
it could do with a sharp kick to the rear about halfway through,
but as a complete package with all the additional materials it
is well worth checking out if you are looking for some new ideas
for leading young people into worship. 8/10 David Cooper (August 2003)
DIZMAS : On a Search of America. (Credential Recordings -EMI)
Dizmas, in case you were wondering, is supposedly the name of the thief who repented at the crucificixion. Hmm! Anyway. This CD is non-stop fairly heavy American rock music, it's very loud, and the actual music in itself is quite good. Unfortunately the singer just screams his way through most of tracks which distracts from what the rest of the band is doing. On quite a few of the other tracks it's quite hard to make out the words too. This is only a short CD, only ten tracks long, but by about the third track I found myself getting terminally bored with it. There's not much respite at all throughout the whole CD, a couple of slower songs might have helped. Also the CD seems to have been mixed so that each instrument has to fight hard to be heard above the rest. The end result is a bit tiring to listen to. Not what you'd expect from an EMI label to be honest. I could probably cope with the odd track from this CD every now and then, but not the whole thing in one go. Unfortunately this CD is fairly forgettable, no track particularly stands out from the rest, which could be down to the recording rather than the music itself, but even so. 5/10 Andy Sayner. (October 2005)
DJ MAJ : Boogiroot. (Gotee Records - GTD60558)
This is the fourth album from Louisiana-born rapper DJ Maj and one which he hopes will "find fertile soil among music lovers of every stripe". I reason then that not being a lover of rap myself, if he can make this album appeal to me, then he may well achieve that. The first two tracks don't really help his cause. Whilst lyrically they are nicely crafted, musically there is little to grab you. However, things begin to change direction with the track, "Boogiroot (The Anthem)", featuring a nice, catchy, looped backing vocal and a lighter tone. The rock/rap track "H.A.N.D.S" is even better with a really nice guitar lick and melodic chorus. Other highlights include the single, "Love (So Beautiful)" and the even more melodic, "Can't Take it Away". However, there still remains a number of tracks that you probably have to be a committed rap fan to appreciate fully. That said, Maj does have a way with words and there are some very strong lyrics in this album particularly on, "Through the Night" which seem to defy Maj's youthfulness. I've got to admit that this album grows on me every time I listen to it, so maybe Maj has been successful with this one. In truth, we could do with a few more artists like him, who can craft songs that appeal to an alienated generation. And if he can pick up the rest of us along the way, then maybe that isn't such a bad thing. 7/10 Robin Thompson. (February 2006)
DONN THOMAS : Psalms Alive. (Maranatha Music : 7016346846).
As the title gives away, this collection of songs has been inspired
by the Psalms. Worship leader Donn Thomas seems to have the gift
that Donnie McClurkin is still searching for. The songs are really
appealing and his vocals can be sweet, or low for those bass numbers.
Singalong with 'Praise Him' and groove with the reggae style 'Lament
For the Nation'. There's some powerful worship contained on this
album and you'll be really moved by songs like 'The Spirit' and,
the pick of the bunch, 'He Is Our Father'. Donn has writing credits
on most tracks and is accompanied on bass guitar by Abraham Laboriel.
This is one of the better worship albums I've heard and well worth
your time. 8/10. (June 1997)
DONNIE McCLURKIN : Donnie McClurkin. (Warner Alliance : 9
46297-2).
At his best, Donnie McClurkin does a good impression of Ron Kenoly
or Alvin Slaughter but, at his worst he's so miserable. 'Stand'
is a good song which has, I have to admit, grown on me with each
play. He then follows this with a lot of whooping and hollering
presenting 'Just A Little Talk With Jesus'. There's a great version
of the old hymn 'Holy, Holy, Holy', and the self penned 'Here
With You' shines out too. Despite the negative drift of this review,
I do feel that there's a lot more good things to come from Donnie,
he just needs time. 4/10. (June 1997)
DOTTIE RAMBO with the Homecoming Friends : Bill & Gloria Gaither Prestent... (Gaither : 8425662)
How this album is can title Dottie Rambo as the leading light is beyond me. On the 15 tracks, she only actually appears 3 times - and that's 3 times too much for me. This is the kind of album that I'd expect you to find, played on any kind of twee US gospel TV programme. It's old hat, and musically, it's way past it's sell by date. The album features the likes of Jessy Dixon and the very talented Sheri Easter, but neither of these acts can save this album from being one of the biggest collections of transatlantic rubbish I've ever come across. 1/10. (April 2005)
DOUG HORLEY : King of Heaven. (Kingsway : KMCD2031).
I really have a lot of respect for this guy. Not only is he a
wicked guitar player (Noel Richard's band) but he brings out great
sounding albums, primarily, aimed at younger people. He's got
it all right, using words that youngsters will understand, to
the type of music that they hear on the radio everyday. "Have
We Made...?" sounds like a familiar soft drink advert, and
"Oi Oi, We Are Gonna Praise..." will have older kids
tapping their feet too. "Do Not Worry" sounds as if
it's been culled straight from Sesame Street and is, by far, the
winner of the this month's 'Cringe Award'. The title track blasts
with African drums and a powerful female vocal, pushing forward
the simple praise of the song. I guess that I must have got this
album a little late/early, as it contains a rap version of "Hark
the Herald Angels Sing". Neat idea, Doug. Finishing off with
a couple of ordinary songs, the album - perhaps - lacks a little
something. There again, maybe I'm getting too old. 7/10. (May 1998)
DOUG HORLEY : We Want to See Jesus Lifted High/King of Heaven.
(KMCD2438)
The latest Kingsway re-release packages, sees the number one children's
songwriters, Doug Horley, with a singly priced double CD. Doug
always manages to make excellent young people's praise and worship
material without them sounding either tacky or condescending.
Songs here include "Who's in the House", "Come
to the Father" "I've Got a Wobbly Tooth" (honest)
and "We Are Warriors". A total of 29 tracks that feature
the dance feel of "Have We Made Our God Too small?"
and a cracking version of "We Want to See Jesus Lifted High".
No surprises here, but this is an excellent package if you don't
already possess either of these albums. 8/10. (January 2003)
DOWNHERE : Downhere. (Word : 0806886 14829)
Canadian band, Downhere, have already toured many states in the
US, as well as in their home country. this debut release for Word
Records mixes energetic pop/rock with some quieter acoustic led
ballads, such as tastefully delivered "Great You Are",
based on Psalm 8. The members of the band are Jason Germain, Marc
Martel, Jeremy Thiessen and Glenn Lavender. I'm not sure which
of the first two guys take the vocals on each song but one of
them sure has them has the distinct depth and quality of DC Talk's
Kevin Max. Indeed, "Free Me Up" and "Reconcile"
could well have been likened to DC Talk circa "Jesus Freak"
period. Of the radio friendly songs, I found "Raincoat"
to be the best, singing praise of Jesus as 'my friend'. The second
half of the album, I feel, is not as strong as the second and,
therefore, the quality dips somewhat. However, there's enough
on show in the first think that we're going to here more of Downhere
in the future. 6/10. (February 2002)
DOWNHERE : Wide-Eyed and Mystified. (Centricity : 1910092)
As I write, this album has already garnered a host of great reviews from the media. So, expecting great things, I put the CD into my player, relaxed, and listened. Okay, I guess it was pleasant enough at the beginning, but it hardly blew my socks off. "Surrender" sings about, unsurprisingly, surrendering to God, but the actual song was very "run of the mill". "Dying to Know you" was a little better, but things really started to pick up with "Stir". It explodes through your speakers, with shattering guitars, and reminded me of early Newsboys stuff. "Forgive Yourself" and "Unbelievable" are similar in style and I really began to enjoy things. Listening again, the album does seem to be one of two halves. For me, the second is vastly greater than the first. 6/10. (January 2007)
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