Reviewed by Tony Cummings

A two CD trawl through many of the hottest sounds and hottest names in current gospel. The CD devoted to R&B-style gospel is the real stormer with some superb cuts from the likes of Dawkins And Dawkins, Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ, CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Anointed, New Direction and Sounds Of Blackness. OK, so Kirk Franklin falls outside the labels represented, making the album subhead 'The Year's 30 Top Gospel Artists' so much ad-speak but there are still seven or eight absolute stormers on Disc 1. The second album, featuring rather more traditional fare, is chocka full of choirs and soloists wringing every last drop of emotional abandon from the songs and with the Thompson Community Singers, Daryl Coley, Canton Spirituals, Beverly and Patrick Love & The A L Jinwright Mass Choir (a new one on me) all abounding in church- wrecking fervour it's another shattering introduction to America's black church scene. An album with the potential to impress all those who yearn for an injection of soul power into the vapid derivativeness of a lot of current R&B.

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