Reviewed by Andy Shaw

Jerusalem were pioneers in combining Christian lyrics with a hard rock sound, an approach that was seen as controversial when they first started touring in the mid-70s. 'Volume One' was their debut album with the Swedish language version released in 1978 and an English language version released two years later. This remastered re-issue is most welcome as there are some long-in-tooth followers of Christian music who insist this is a classic. The band were focused on evangelism and using their platform to preach the Gospel and this is clear through the lyrics with each track delivering truth about God and inviting the listener to experience God's love and salvation. Musically there are many influences that can be heard through the record with blues and hard rock dominating whether rolling through a 12-bar blues on "Noah" or cranking up the power chords on "What If Jesus Is Right". It is not all in-your-face rock though with a variety of additional instruments beyond the traditional rock band line-up. Hammond organ is heard on a number of tracks adding depth and at times some hints of jazz to proceedings with "If You Only Care To Listen" even throwing in a saxophone solo for good measure. "Come To Me" brings even more contrast as an acoustic folk track with the use of string arrangements to build an atmosphere of introspection inviting the listener to reflect on God's call to come.

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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