Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

This compilation offers a potted musical history of the veteran American guitarist who has had some brushes with fame while never quite getting to breathe the rarefied air of a Hendrix or a Clapton. Spanning 28 years, this album moves style as it progresses. It goes from the poppy opener ("I Need The Lord" from 1988) to the riffy "Jesus Loves You" via the Black Sabbath-esque "True Love Waits" and the Celtic-inspired "Simple Gifts" (an instrumental arrangement of "Lord Of The Dance"). The main style (on the majority of the songs) is foot-stomping rock so don't expect subtle drumming here. The lyrics are equal to them, being pretty direct statements of faith. Casper is, without doubt, a top rate guitarist. Although that doesn't make him unique it does hint at his ability which is then clear to hear on every song - very good without being overly flashy. It's a good album but even with being spread over so many years, did have a similarity among the foot-stompers, making the album hang together. It's a little odd that the two gentler numbers were put at the end of the compilation - I would have thought "Simple Gifts" would have sat better in the middle of the set. But minor quibbles aside, this is a reasonable showcase of an underrated rock journeyman.

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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