Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Looking through this vast 1515 page tome of a book guiding readers through what are the most valuable recordings ever to get a UK release, you'll occasionally come across albums familiar from the Cross Rhythms playlists of old - Larry Norman's classic 'In Another Land' album, a whole swathe of items by Andrae Crouch & The Disciples and an even bigger swathe of singles, EPs and albums by Cliff Richard, U2 and other mainstreamers. There are even a handful of obscure British Christian music artists listed like Achor (their 'End Of My Day' vinyl is valued, in mint condition of course, at £15.00) and the Water Into Wine Band's 'Hill Climbing For Beginners' (which, if you're blessed enough to own a mint copy with a brown sleeve, could get you £150.00; or for one with a white sleeve, £100.00). This differentiation between sleeves, pressings and even label designs reveals the very heart of record collecting mentality. The Rare Record Price Guide, and indeed the monthly Record Collector magazine that compiles it, portray an obsessive world where hearing the music you enjoy isn't enough. The music has to be owned and the hardcore collector who will want this book is likely to be someone prepared to spend countless hours trawling through the internet or travelling sometimes hundreds of miles to Record Fares in their relentless effort to track down an elusive Krautrock item or to locate 'The Return Of The Dunutti Column' in its much sought after sandpaper sleeve.

The back cover of Rare Record Price Guide describes itself as being "The 15th edition of the world's most comprehensive guide - rock, pop, soul, punk, blues, jazz, hip-hop, reggae, dance, rock'n'roll, metal, prog, psych, indie, folk, exotica, soundtracks and MOR." Cross Rhythms readers would note that neither Christian music nor gospel music are mentioned in that listing despite the fact that records listed like Out of Darkness' self-title album or the Swanee River Boys' 'Do You Believe' don't fit into any of the listed genres. A small matter. If you really need to know that the mint copies of the two Imperials albums Key Records released to Buzz readers back in the '70s are now worth £18 and £15 respectively, this is the book to tell you.

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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