Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Let's face it. Live dance albums are a bit of an oxymoron, and listening to singers performing to backing tapes is fine in the context of the sweat and vibe of the nightclub but usually come over as warmed over karaoke when relived with one's home stereo. But as surely every reader of Cross Rhythms know, Planet Life is much, much more than a sanctified dance gig; it's the premier event in demonstrating that worship of God must not be locked in a few musical formulae, but must continually re-invent itself, absorbing and reflecting anything and everything that develops in the creative maelstrom of music. As a wake up call to all churches whose worship still languishes in forms irrelevant to today's youth, this fast moving flick through the exuberant, cathartic, monthly celebrations at Manchester Apollo will do nicely and the way in which dba and Minds Of Men seamlessly fit into the beats and exhortations of WWMT and the deliciously hectoring Cameron Dante shows that the Tribe aren't alone in making songs of praise youth-relevant. There are one or two weak spots, the song "Never Alone" by London Community Gospel Choir is dull, too long and alongside the cutting edge stuff elsewhere show that black majority church traditionalism has a bit of catching up to do. But when Tribal Expression (the worship spin off of the Tribe featuring Doug Walker, Lee Jackson, Doronda Lewis, et al) go into some spine tingling worship, or when the Tribe reconstruct the old gospel warhorse "Ain't Nobody" into a rap and rant groove, I throw down my reviewer's pen and do what this album intends all along, and worship the God who loves me.

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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