Reviewed by Alastair McCollum

The American evangelist/performer/showman/singer Carman had a gift for storytelling which packed a spiritual punch and now 12 of his oldies are reissued in one of a series of 'Greatest Hits' compilations from EMI Christian Music Group. Though the music has a distinctly '80s feel to much of it, the passion and exuberance of Carman's performances make up for the sometimes dated R&B grooves and OTT nature of the arrangements. Carman's particular speciality was theatric monologues. So here we have the discussion between the Devil and "the grave" on the live version of "Sunday's On The Way" via "Lazarus Come Forth" and the status updates of a demon to Satan on "Revival In The Land". Alongside this are the joy and power of the synth-pop based "I Got The Joy", a live version of "Radically Saved" and the reggae beat of "No Way, We Are Not Ashamed". There is also a quirky acoustic "Soap Song" where the references to US soap operas elicit screams from his audience but will leave most UK hearers scratching their heads. In contrast the last two tracks, "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High" and "Serve The Lord" showcase the singer doing his inspirational ballad thing which manage to sound completely overblown. This isn't a great collection, but gives a flavour of one of the longest lasting CCM artists around at a bargain price.

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