Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

In England the band were known as the Mark Williamson Band and this album was their debut, 'Get The Drift'. In the USA, Larry Norman took them under his wing and released this album after he remixed it and gave it an American makeover so there are a few bells and whistles added here and there. Unfortunately, it feels like this mix is a little more clumsy than the original British version so that rather than adding, it detracts from the other version. The band itself highlights the songwriting and twin vocals of Williamson and a very young Chris Eaton. This is Christian pop rock '80s style and there are a few classics on here. "Don't Turn Your Back On Jesus" which opens things was always a live hit and Sheila Walsh later covered it. "Midnight Diamond" is another favourite and it highlights all that was good with the Chapel Lane studio in the early '80s where the label's artists had the opportunity to put together polished pop. A lot of the songs highlight the band's twin vocal arrangements with Williamson and Eaton doing a great job trying to out-funk each other! This also features "Susanne", a soulful love song that was originally only released on a Chapel Lane compilation but one of the highlights is Williamson's vocals on "Somebody Told Me" which just remind the listener that he was one of the most gifted blue eyed soul singers of his generation. Having said that, I have to say that overall, this version of the band's debut album doesn't improve the 'Get The Drift' release, which is a shame.

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