Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Alongside the Winans and Andrae Crouch, Commissioned have their output on Light Records regurgitated on this rather splendid compilation. This is an excellent opportunity to delve into the vaults and pull out some significant booty from Funky Fred Hammond and the boys. The years on Light saw Commissioned develop their smooth style of urban gospel, not the fully fledged '90s model but the hints of their significant future were all there on these songs. 70 minutes of classics include the funk of "If My People", the tenderness of ballads like "Will You Be Ready" and "Unworthy" along with the exuberance of "I'm Going On" and the celebratory "Victory". My personal favourite has to be the rich ballad "Tis So Sweet" - it still has the power to send tingles down the spine even after all this time! The trademark vocal versatility of the sextet and the straight down the line lyrics make this album an absolute essential purchase, especially if you missed these releases first time round. Like the others in the series, the full sleeve notes put the songs in perspective and the whole set is nicely priced to boot!

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