Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Sometimes the ways of large record companies are beyond comprehension. For around the same time last year that Nelson Word cleared their warehouse of tens of thousands of excellent albums (look out for them in deletion racks everywhere, folks) they're taking delivery of these four US compilations - put together in the States between 1986 and 1989 of exceedingly iffy quality. Ah, you say, is this Cummings displaying his qualifications for being a rad rocker (You must be joking!! Assistant Editor) by taking a cheap shot at lush middle-of-the-road music and believe me most of the 80 renditions of the world's best loved hymns are so middle of the road - with violins, sweet voiced choirs et al - that the albums could do with cats eyes in between the tracks. But no folks. My objections to these four albums are based in part in the arrangements, which stem mostly from a neo-classical tradition, referred to in the States as "inspirational" but in fact this side of the pond inspiring a dash for the off switch. If you thought Steve Green was OTT, and you should, catch what Ronn Huff, Ralph Carmichael and cohorts were doing with grandiose strings and tympani-driven climaxes back in the '70s when these tracks were recorded. The material here is beautiful incredible, timeless hymns from Watts, Montgomery, Wesley and dozens more. But those sickly saccharine or pompously effected arrangements bring out none of the beauty of the material and have more to do with pandering to religious middle American bad taste than intelligent settings for classic hymns. There are occasional exceptions to all the glutinous MOR - Terry Bradshaw does effective country-gospel and Dallas Holm has a great voice. Not that you'd know. Which brings me to my most scathing criticism reserved for the disgustingly shoddy packing of these volumes. Now I know that they're budget-line. But to drag out songs from your own back catalogue and not even put the artists' names on the compilations smacks of marketing cynicism on a worrying level. In the interests of discographic completeness Volume 1 contains tracks by (deep breath) Ronn Huff And The Cathedral Choir Of Bethany First Church Of The Nazarene, Free Spirit, Nielson And Young, Oklahoma Festival Choir, Bridge, the Don Marsh Orchestra, Ronn Huff And The Electric Light Singers, David T Clydesdale Singers And Orchestra, Terry Bradshaw and Dallas Holm.

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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