The latest part of the ongoing series chronicling, in no particular order, the greatest 1001 recordings made by Christian artists

484. LOVE SONG - FREEDOM, 1972. From the album 'Love Song', Good News.
"Freedom" is a McCartneyesque suite (ie, "Band On The Run", "Uncle Albert") that segues at least two songs into a rousing call to "shout the joyful news that Jesus is Lord." The opening's shimmering mood with an undulating bass riff from Jay Truax and a delicate electric guitar figure from Tom Coomes builds and swells into blistering rock but than ends with Chuck Girard accompanied just by his own piano as, in his sweetly evocative voice he reminds us that "all you have to do is take him at his word." Musical evangelism has seldom carried the ring of truth so powerfully.
Tony Cummings

485. MARY'S DEN - CAPTURED BY YOUR MAJESTY, 1999. From the album 'Songs From The Living Room', Independent.
This unusually-titled group hail from Hammond, Louisiana and were first introduced to Cross Rhythms' readers by Mike Rimmer at the turn of the millennium. Their rootsy folk/rock worship sound was a true breath of fresh air in a p&w market overloaded with banality. This team's format is predictable only in its unpredictability - moving between funky upbeat numbers to irregular instrumentals to spontaneous songs with a prophetic edge. "Captured By Your Majesty" comes in something of a blues-rock 'n' roll (a la Rolling Stones) format and revels in the majesty and love of God. A definite early Kevin Prosch influence is apparent - and these guys make no apology for that. Wonderful stuff.
Tom Lennie

486. PROJECT 86 - STEIN'S THEME, 2000. From the album 'Drawing Black Lines', BEC Recordings.
It was 2000 and nu metal was at its peak. Rage Against The Machine had released (what we now know was to be) their final album. The Deftones and Slipknot were giving it full throttle. And Linkin Park were about to emerge. And then, blow me, the Christians got in on the act. 'Drawing Black Lines' was powerful stuff, up there with the best of the mainstream but with lyrics not only free of hopelessness and f words but fearlessly pummelling a spiritual militancy to the mosh pits of clubland. Guitarist Randy Torres and vocalist Andy Schwab led a full frontal assault which took no prisoners. Building from a simple strummed guitar chord, then adding a second riff and drums, it dropped off for a quick bass riff before exploding in a vortex of noise into the verse. Schwab makes his entrance with staccato phrases and reached the chorus with the shouted "We aren't playing by your rules/We'll never play the fool/So no, you cannot take what's inside of me!" The brutal finale had a repeated breakdown followed by muffled screams. Unforgettable.
Tony Cummings

487. MATT REDMAN - HEART OF WORSHIP, 1998. From the album 'Intimacy', Kingsway.
One of the most popular of all contemporary worship tunes, this classic came out of a period of declension in Redman's Watford church. Bravely, the pastor decided to get rid of the sound system and band for a season, and the congregation gathered together with just their voices. The point was that they'd lost their way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart was to strip everything away. There followed some embarrassing silences, of course, but eventually people broke into a cappella songs and heartfelt prayers, and God was encountered in a fresh way. And that's the beauty of the song - realising that worship isn't about singing praise songs at all - it's about focusing our lives solely on Jesus Christ. On this recording Martin Smith provided quality backing vocals on the chorus, and a more recent version of the song built in intensity and saw Matt add the additional hook line, "You will not share your glory with another/There's no other". But it's the original take that is best known to millions of worshippers worldwide.
Tom Lennie

Claire Lynch

488. SMOKY MOUNTAIN, CLAIRE LYNCH - WAYFARING STRANGER, 1993. From the album 'Smoky Mountain Singin'', Brentwood Music.
In the '90s Brentwood Music stumbled across a formula for successful albums for US churchgoers and milked it for all they were worth. What the label discovered was a big audience for country-cum-bluegrass instrumental renditions of hymns and gospel songs and under the Smoky Mountain moniker poured out a stream of albums played by Nashville session men running through "The Old Rugged Cross", "I'll Fly Away" and dozens more items from the old hymnals. Rather peculiarly the sleeves made special mention of the "hand made instruments" (guitars, dobros, banjos, hammered dulcimers, etc) rather than the musicians who played them. With about 10 volumes in all it was hardly surprising that the Smoky Mountain series began to sound formulaic and sales began to drop off. And so it was that in 1993 in a last desperate effort to breathe new life and sales into the concept producers Jack Jezzro and Craig Duncan hired a batch of unknown country and bluegrass singers to put vocals on some much loved evergreens. Included in the hired hands was one Claire Lynch. When Cross Rhythms reviewed 'Smoky Mountain Singin' we singled out Claire's vocals as being "nothing short of magnificent" with the piece-de-resistance being the singer's poignant rendition of "Wayfaring Stranger". The song is of course one of America's greatest folk spirituals and down the decades has been recorded by a vast array of artists including Burl Ives, Dolly Parton, Duane Eddy, Paul Robeson, Jerry Garcia, Joan Baez, Eva Cassidy and Emmylou Harris. But no one has brought out the full majesty of the song about a plaintive soul on the journey through life like the then leader of the Front Porch String Band. As it turned out, Claire went on to get Grammy nominations for her 'Moonlighter' and 'Silver And Gold' albums and The Claire Lynch Band are today acknowledged as one of the great post-modern bluegrass bands. And for the blessed handful who stumbled across the 'Smoky Mountain Singin'' anonymously packaged album, it's Claire's goosebump-raising rendition of a timeless classic which, once heard, stays forever in the memory.
Tony Cummings

489. NARNIA - MUDDY GROUND, 1974. From the album 'Narnia: Aslan Is Not A Tame Lion', Myrrh.
Jesus music anoraks will tell you that Narnia were a short-lived British group that contained in their ranks John Russell and Peter Banks who were to go on to form After The Fire. But it's the group's lead singer and songwriter Pauline Filby whose presence dominated this fine and exceptional song. Pauline is a fine singer whose folk-psych album 'Show Me A Rainbow' is much treasured by collectors as are original copies of this rarity - subsequently re-issued on CD. Unlike the sweet tones of many female folkies, Pauline possessed a rich, husky contralto that was full of bluesy nuances while this song starts with slow elegance then builds to a climactic peak. Production by Tony Hooper of the Strawbs is spot on and it's a shame that the hugely talented Ms Filby has recorded so little.
Tony Cummings

490. JESSY DIXON - FORTY ACRES AND A MULE, 2009. From the album 'Total Freedom', Gospel Ambassador.
Apart from a bizarre cover photo where the extreme air brushing made the veteran gospel man look like an alien, 'Total Freedom' was Jessy's best album for years. As it turned out, it also proved to be his final release, the Chicagoan dying recently. With a set of self-composed songs homing in on the need for social/political freedom aided by a laid back bluesy band, with some delicious licks from guitarist Dave Cleveland, there are several fine cuts on 'Total Freedom' but this is the best. This song echoed that notorious broken promise that when the slaves were set free in the USA each would be given 40 acres of land and a mule to work it. Jessy's soulful vocal exudes pain and passion.
Tony Cummings

491. GREG CHAISSON - TOO LATE TO PRAY, 1994. From the album 'It's About Time', Intense.
The fickle pop rock world is full of musicians who never got the recognition their superior talents deserved and such a description perfectly fits Mr Chaisson. His wonderful bass playing added drive to bands like Badlands and the Blindside Blues Band and in 1994 he was given his one-and-only solo shot released on Frontline's Intense subsidiary. Greg's voice has the same bluesy rasp as Johnny Winter, his guitarists lay down licks every bit as powerful as anything Cream came up with and the opener "Too Late To Pray" is as delicious a piece of blues rock as you're likely to hear. With zero promotion 'It's About Time' didn't sell and Greg was last heard of living with his wife and kids in Phoenix, Arizona playing the occasional gig with local cover bands. Such talent deserves more.
Tony Cummings

492. LUCY BRITTEN - NOTHING COMPARES (WITH YOUR LOVE), 1998. From the various artists album 'Jumping In The House Of God III', Movation.
Before stepping out of the spotlight (if such a phrase is appropriate for grassroots Christian music ministry) after marrying LZ7's Lindz West, Lucy's clear, angelic tones could be heard on a series of great tracks by Psalmistry, Storm, V*enna and Blush. But it was this rare solo which showed up all the heart-tingling purity of Lucy's voice while the catchy pop dance groove concocted by Zarc Porter is a delight which, considering the time-sensitive nature of much made-for-radio pop has dated hardly at all. If it had been a single released into the mainstream "Nothing Compares" could have been a smash. As it is the 'Jumping. . .3' album is worth searching out for this cut.
Tony Cummings

Casting Crowns

493. CASTING CROWNS - WHAT THIS WORLD NEEDS, 2007. From the album 'The Altar And The Door', Reunion.
With an arresting opening line "What this world needs is not another one hit wonder with an axe to grind" the song then goes on to spell out our world's desperate spiritual needs. Mark Hall seems to effortlessly turn out tuneful pop rock which abounds in spiritual truth enjoyed by both the youth celebration crowd and their Christian mums and dads. There's nothing "cool" about these youth workers from Atlanta. But there's a sincerity of heart that goes deeper than much "cutting edge" posturing.
Tony Cummings

494. LZ7 - THIS LITTLE LIGHT, 2008. From the mini-album 'Gasoline' Survivor.
I fell in love with this song from the first moment I heard it! Although Lindz West couldn't explain to me how six people could be on the writing credits for the song, particularly as the vocal hook comes from a decades old Sunday school ditty, it doesn't matter a jot. There's no doubt that grime master Lindz went in a more pop direction with "This Little Light" and yet the infectious catchiness of the track was a winner all the way. Its nag-at-you chorus will not leave your brain once you hear it. It also features the cutest vocal you'll hear all year from Tim and Emma Owen's kid Destiny. This is perfect pop with something positive to say.
Mike Rimmer

495. THE KINGSMEN - WISH YOU WERE HERE, 1991. From the album 'Wish You Were Here', Kingsmen.
Not the "Louie Louie" guys of course, these Kingsmen from Asheville, North Carolina have been fixtures on the Southern gospel scene almost since their formation in 1956. By the '90s they were finally adapting their old school knee-slapping country style and on this track had a gentle orchestration bringing out the full pathos of this sentimental song penned by Michael C Williams. The lyric is not dissimilar to MercyMe's "I Can Only Imagine" - a poignant portrayal of what Heaven may be like through the eyes of departed loved ones. Some may find it excessively maudlin but the fine lead vocal from Tim Surrett and rich harmonies on the chorus make it for me an emotive easy listening gem.
Tony Cummings

496. SOUL P - HEAR MY CRY, 2006. From the album 'The Premier', Beatmart Recordings.
A hip-hop classic from the rapper also known as Soul Plasma. This is a testimony-in-song where over a crunching track, the emcee describes his pre-conversion days when he was "smokin' 'erb outta pipe like Geronimo" and how everything changed since he met the Lord. Soul P manages to rhyme "Lord" with "crossroads" but in his drawling accent that sounds great.
Tony Cummings

497. SHARI ADDISON - I Praise You, 2009. From the album 'Shari Addison', Verity.
Once a funkster, always a funkster. It's been decades since I regularly shook a leg to James Brown, George Clinton and the Fatback Band but I still enjoy a hard rhythmic groove particularly when it's incorporated into praise of the living God and especially when the top line vocal is delivered by a powerhouse, Aretha-style diva. Much of the 'Shari Addison' album is mediocre but this cut, expertly put together by studio maestro Kevin Bond, is an exceptional excuse for listeners to get their praise on.
Tony Cummings