Reviewed by Doug Holland

After 'The Best...' and then 'The Very Best Worship Songs Ever' comes, predictably perhaps, this offering from Kingsway Music. In common with the previous collections in the series you do get a lot of music for your money, this three CD set coming in at 50 tracks and 220 minutes. Also in common, the very size of this collection removes the possibility of their being planned into the song list any element of the worship cycle, and the result is an apparently random sequence of themes and levels of intimacy with God. The album title is actually somewhat misleading as this is in fact a collection of both modern and more traditional hymns (and some hybrids), with the latter having in the main been given a guitar-based makeover and in some cases a significant re-write. It has to be imagined that listeners to modern worship songs are the target audience here, as followers of the more traditional (organ-based) setting for some of the listed tracks are extremely unlikely to be fans of this. The big names leading and the largely anthemic feel of the whole will guarantee good sales for this recording, as it becomes official that the instrument of choice in any church wishing to be regarded as modern is now the electric guitar.

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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