Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Anne Murray may not be a familiar name to you, but her career stretches back to the late ‘60s when she enjoyed a huge hit with the song “Snowbird”. This album was released last summer in Canada and has already gone platinum, so you can guess that she’s pretty popular! The album has also hit the number one spot in the Christian charts on the other side of the Atlantic, so there’s no doubting the commercial success. Since the Barbra Streisand inspirational album, I’m always a bit suspicious of celebs putting out this sort of album, as it’s hard to tell whether this is an over the hill star going for the soft touch, or a genuine expression of Christian faith. It being on a Christian label doesn’t actually mean anything either, since “Gospel” albums by Elvis Presley and Kenny Rogers have previously appeared. As for the content, this includes a selection of mushy, pseudo-inspirational pants like “Lean On Me”, “I Can See Clearly Now”, “Let It Be”, “What A Wonderful World”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “You’ve Got A Friend”. It also features the sort of hymns that absolutely everybody records – do we need new versions of “The Old Rugged Cross”, “Amazing Grace”, “Peace In The Valley”, “How Great Thou Art” and “Whispering Hope”? I don’t think so! Sweet, sugary and aimed at the lowest common denominator, I prefer my inspiration Spirit-filled and sugar-free. Easy listening and easy money, But I question the spiritual integrity of such releases.

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.