Reviewed by Stephen Luff

Randy Travis has the kind a music CV of which some can only dream. After breaking through in the mid '80s and winning a Grammy twice in a row for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, he saw the popularity of his traditional style decline and his path eventually leading to country gospel, where he won several Dove awards for the title track, as well as the deserved CMA Song Of The Year in 2003. Along with that haunting story song this compilation contains 20 tracks from five gospel albums, including duets with Jon Anderson, Mac Powell (Third Day) and the amazing Blind Boys Of Alabama. The challenge here is to find a poor track. Mr Travis is able to adapt from the traditional such as "Blessed Assurance" to the excellent 2008 composition "Faith In You" with total ease and his rich, pure country voice just enriches whatever he sings. The only danger to English ears is, on occasions, the boundary from sentimental to cringe-worthy is almost crossed when a song like "Angels" links mothers to celestial beings! Overall though, a great collection from an outstanding country artist.

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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