Reviewed by Phil Thomson

Let me get one thing out of the way at the start. I just don't believe you can take certain standards like "I Surrender All" and "Shout To The Lord" and reggaefy them with conviction. It has a whiff of padding out the album. Songs have a comfortable niche, a genre, and survive there best when not pushed too far. Reggae needs original writing and the Jamaican church must surely have enough new creatives queuing up. Having said that, by the time we reach Norris Weir's wonderful interpretation of "This Train", with it's brassy, in-your-face simplicity, its brilliant, wandering horn break and perfect vocal timing from Weir, the argument is demolished. But then, that's a song construction which comes out of the "spiritual" and has a long pedigree in that world. Can you tell I'm having a problem with this album? I also have to acknowledge that Osmond Collin's version of the much travelled "Glory, Written, Calvary" transcends all boundaries. Which makes Vol 9 a mixed bag - a various artists project which is at its most refreshing in the insistent "I'm So Thankful" sung by Sus and the ridiculously preachy patois of Chevelle Franklyn's self-penned "The Things You Do" - for me the absolute highlight.

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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