Reviewed by Ian Webber

With recordings released by Hillsong you have a good idea what you are in for: worship music that has a familiar sound, professionally packaged. Both in terms of content and quality of production, this DVD, more or less, delivers. It contains 19 live tracks recorded by the rockier branch of the Australian mega-church, Hillsong United, as they travelled the world. The music, as you may expect, is pop rock based and includes favourites such as "One Way", "The Stand", "Take It All" and "All I Need Is You" though the sound quality is sometimes below par. What I appreciate in this recording, however, are the short contributions by names such as Martin Smith and Brother Andrew that separate the tracks. These contributions help to place the familiar songs in a context that outlines Hillsong's vision for its ministry and mission. Within these short breaks you are also taken on a visual tour of the world including some beautifully filmed scenes. The camera work is artistic, although after a while the grainy low budget effect seems a little overdone. As a new insight into the world of Hillsong, this video was instructive and included some energetic performances. Its length did mean though that only the most determined would be able to watch this in one sitting.

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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