Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

In 1981 Laurie Mellor, a member of Ishmael's band Rev Counta & The Speedoze, embarked on an ambitious project to create a compilation album that highlighted some of the best Christian bands around but to aim them at the mainstream. A radical idea for the day! More than a quarter of a century later, it's amazing how fresh a lot of this stuff still sounds. Mellor took five of the bands to the ICC studios in Eastbourne and recorded them there; listening now this sounds just like the music you'd have found in the charts in 1981. The fact that just about every band here dived back into obscurity doesn't spoil the fact that there's some great music here. Highlights include The Graphics' "Don't Stop" with its furious pace and choppy rhythms. Ska was popular in 1981 so The Stares' "Pseudo Love" has the deadpan vocals and ska feel of the day. Crowd Control did a good job at creating an atmospheric indie sound which again is very 1981. The Magnetics' "Passin' Thru" was always a favourite for me, featuring a great horn riff and a vocal delivery so nasally that I'm convinced the singer was holding his nose at the mic. Infectious is the best way to describe it with some great guitar work as well! Infectious could also sum up The Mystery Guests' song "Take A Look At Yourself" with its breezy production, hooky chorus and quick fire guitar break. Ironically the ropiest recordings here are from The Predators who didn't make the trip to ICC but instead sent in recordings already completed in the north west including their live favourite "Plastic Surgeon". Consequently their new wave sounds a little muddy. I say it's ironic because of all the artists captured here, it was The Predators who went on to record two albums for Pilgrim Records. There is plenty here which could easily have invaded the charts and all these years later, it's fascinating to hear the songs again.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.