Reviewed by Norman Smith

Chet is, of course, renowned for being THE Nashville session guitarist of the ‘50s/’60s/’70s. He is not renowned for being a practising Christian. On this meagre 28 minutes of twangy instrumental guitar hymn collection there is familiarity, maybe even a pastiche security in it all. Fortunately, country music these days is welcomingly unrecognisable to the old days, with the like of Garth Brooks redefining the genre with quality, intelligence and passion. This has none of these welcome qualities and stands as a pitiful caricature of country, reinforcing the stereotype of bland, drop-off –to sleep non-entity music: same tempo, same lazy arrangement, patronisingly dismissing the original intensity of the hymn writers. John Newton, for one, would surely wince (or yawn) at this “Amazing Grace”. Strictly, and very strictly, for timewarp country dinosaurs.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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